Police Col. Suriya Puangsombat (left), investigation superintendent of Immigration Bureau Division 3, inspects an amulet stall where Chinese nationals were illegally selling at a shopping mall in Nonthaburi province on Dec. 12, 2025.
NONTHABURI — Thai immigration authorities arrested three Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national Friday for illegally selling Buddhist amulets at a shopping mall in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok.
Immigration officers raided the mall in the Ngamwongwan area around 1 p.m. December 12 following complaints that foreigners were operating amulet stalls without proper authorization.
At two stalls, officers found suspects openly buying and selling Thai amulets, including gold and silver amulet cases, while presenting themselves as experts in the religious items.
Two Chinese nationals — identified only by aliases as Ming, 35, and Zhang, 40 — were staying in Thailand on 60-day tourist visas but lacked work permits, authorities said.
A second stall was operated by another Chinese national using the alias Wang, who held a student visa but no work permit. Officers also detained a Myanmar worker at that stall, identified as Min Oo, 29, whose visa had expired and who also lacked work authorization. Authorities said Min Oo was working for Wang.
All three Chinese nationals were charged with working without authorization. The Myanmar national was charged with working without a permit and overstaying his visa. Wang faces an additional charge of employing a foreign national without proper documentation.
The suspects were transferred to Rattanathibet Police Station for prosecution.
Police Col. Suriya Puangsombat, investigation superintendent of Immigration Bureau Division 3 issued a warning to the public and potential offenders that such actions constitute working without authorization, an offense under the Royal Decree on Management of Foreign Workers. Penalties include fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht, and employers who hire foreign workers without authorization face fines from 10,000 to 100,000 baht.
After prosecution, the Immigration Bureau will exercise its authority to consider blacklisting individuals under immigration law.
Combination photo of Cambodian PM Hun Manet, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul
W hile Anutin, speaking after his discussion with Trump, stated that if there were to be a request for a ceasefire, it would have to be conveyed to Cambodia first, and only then could matters proceed (as cited by Khaosod). About a little over two hours later, Trump posted on social media shortly after midnight Bangkok time on December 13 (the morning of December 12 in Washington, DC) that the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to “CEASE all shooting effective this evening.”
“This evening,” when accounting for the 12-hour time difference between Washington, DC and Bangkok, would still most likely mean tonight—Saturday night in Bangkok.
Anutin’s messaging to the Thai public could be interpreted as signaling a firm Thai stance: that Trump needed to speak with Hun Manet first before anything could move forward. This played well with ultra-nationalist audiences, earning him full political points—essentially functioning as an election campaign messaging. Trump, however, told a completely different story, like watching two totally different films.
So who is lying? We will likely know by tonight. And the cost of lying—or at least distorting the truth—will be quite high, especially if it is Anutin.
Later on, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet posted a message on Facebook at around 4 a.m. today, December 13, 2025, stating that he had spoken with both U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim.
Contrary to what Trump said, Hun Manet did not indicate that Thailand and Cambodia would return to the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord (KL Peace Accord) this evening. However, he did ask both leaders to use intelligence assessments and satellite information to verify whether Thailand or Cambodia initiated the shootings on December 7.
—
Below is Trump’s post on Truth Social, followed by Hun Manet.
Trump:
I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War. They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. The roadside bomb that originally killed and wounded numerous Thai Soldiers was an accident, but Thailand nevertheless retaliated very strongly. Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America. It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries! I would also like to thank the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, for his assistance in this very important matter.
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Hun Manet:
I had a telephone discussion with H.E. Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia on Thursday 11 December and last night, 12 December 2025 with H.E US President Donald Trump to find ways to bring a ceasefire between Cambodia-Thailand and get both sides back to implementing the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration.
I thanked both His Excellency for their continuous efforts towards achieving long-term peace between Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia has always maintained its stance in seeking peaceful resolution of disputes, in line with the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration.
In light of the shooting on the afternoon of December 7, 2025, that led to a resurgence of fighting between the two countries, I have advised that the US and Malaysia military or intelligence agencies can use their intelligence gathering capabilities, such as satellite images taken during and after that, for 24 hours to verify which side fired first. This method may be the easiest and most transparent method to verify the fact. Cambodia is ready to cooperate in case of need.
I had phone conversations with both Prime Minister Anwar of Malaysia on Thursday 11 December and last night, 12 December 2025, with President Donald Trump of the United States, to find ways to have a ceasefire and return to the implementation of Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand.
I thanks both leaders for their continuous efforts to achieve a long-lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia has always been adhering to peaceful means for dispute resolutions, in accordance with the KL Joint Declaration.
Regarding the shooting incident on the afternoon of 7 December 2025, which started this new round of fight between the two countries, I suggested to both leaders that militaries or agencies of United States and Malaysia can use their information gathering capabilities such as satellite imageries recorded during that time as well as for the next twenty four hours after that to verify which side opened fires first. This maybe the easiest and most transparent ways to verify the incident. Cambodia is ready to cooperate in anyway that is needed.
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes had threatened to undo a ceasefire the U.S. administration had helped broker earlier this year.
Trump announced the agreement to restart the ceasefire in a social media posting following calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said in his Truth Social posting.
Thai and Cambodian officials offered no immediate comment following Trump’s announcement. Anutin, after speaking with Trump but before the U.S. president’s social media posting, said he reiterated to Trump that Thailand’s position was to keep fighting until Cambodia no longer poses a threat to its sovereignty.
Trump, a Republican, said that Ibrahim played an important role in helping him push Thailand and Cambodia to once again agree to stop fighting.
“It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries!” Trump added.
A Thai resident takes shelter in Buriram province, Thailand, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, following renewed border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The original ceasefire in July was 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.
Despite the deal, the two countries carried on a bitter propaganda war and minor cross-border violence continued.
The roots of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict lie in a history of enmity over competing territorial claims. These claims largely stem from a 1907 map created while Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand maintains is inaccurate. Tensions were exacerbated by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded sovereignty to Cambodia, which still riles many Thais.
Thailand has deployed jet fighters to carry out airstrikes on what it says are military targets. Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles).
According to data collected by public broadcaster ThaiPBS, at least six of the Thai soldiers who were killed were hit by rocket shrapnel.
The Thai army’s northeastern regional command said Thursday that some residential areas and homes near the border were damaged by BM-21 rocket launchers from Cambodian forces.
The Thai army also said it destroyed a tall crane atop a hill held by Cambodia where the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple is located, because it allegedly held electronic and optical devices used for military command and control purposes.
Trump has repeatedly made the exaggerated claim that he has helped solve eight conflicts, including the one between Thailand and Cambodia, since returning to office in January, as evidence of his negotiating prowess. And he’s not been shy about his desire to be recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize.
In an exchange with reporters later Friday, Trump credited his administration with doing a “a very good job” with its push to stem the renewed fighting.
“And we got it, I think, straightened out today,” Trump said as he hosted members of the 1980 U.S. men’s hockey team in the Oval Office. “So Thailand and Cambodia is in good shape.”
People prepare breakfast as they take refuge at Wat Chroy Neangoun’s Buddhist pagoda in Siem Reap province, Cambodia Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, after fleeing from home following fighting between Thailand and Cambodia over territorial claims. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Another ceasefire that Trump takes credit for working out, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, is also under strain — just after the leaders of the African nations traveled to Washington to sign a peace deal.
A joint statement released by the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes expressed “profound concern” over the situation in Congo’s South Kivu region, where new deadly violence blamed on the Rwandan-backed M23 militia group has exploded in recent days.
The Great Lakes contact group — which includes Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and the European Union — has urged all sides “to uphold their commitments” under the deal signed last week and “immediately de-escalate the situation.”
Aamer Madhani reported from Washington. AP writers Jintamas Saksornchai in Buriram, Thailand, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Matthew Lee contributed reporting.
Combination photo: The left image shows Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul speaking by phone from Government House in Bangkok on Dec. 12, 2025, while the right image shows U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Dec. 11, 2025.
BANGKOK — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul intensified his nationalist messaging on Friday, boasting that he told U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Cambodia to halt attacks before calling for a ceasefire, as border clashes between the two countries continued for a sixth day.
Anutin, who dissolved Parliament earlier this week to pave the way for a general election, has been leaning heavily into a hard-line security posture that has energized nationalist supporters online. Their praise has largely overshadowed anger over his government’s widely criticized response to severe flooding in southern Thailand, particularly in Hat Yai.
Speaking at 10 p.m. on December 12, Anutin said his 20-minute conversation with Trump “went well” and that the U.S. leader expressed concern about the escalating conflict and encouraged Thailand to adhere to the Malaysia Joint Declaration governing the border.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, joined by Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, holds a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump at Government House at 9:26 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2025.
Anutin said he told Trump that Thailand had followed the agreement’s conditions “all along,” while Cambodia violated them first. “Thailand had to respond in order to defend its sovereignty,” he said.
The prime minister also said he believed Trump had already spoken with the Cambodian leadership, because it appeared he had received inaccurate information suggesting Thailand was the aggressor for using air power. In reality, he said, Thailand was not the one initiating attacks but was responding.
He stressed that protecting the public remained his top priority and insisted Thailand did not initiate the latest round of fighting. Trump, he added, told him he could call anytime—though he did not provide a direct number. Anutin said a direct line was unnecessary because Thailand could manage the situation and the foreign minister already maintains regular contact with Washington.
President Donald Trump, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, left, and Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pose with their documents during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump urged a ceasefire, according to Anutin. But the Thai leader said he responded by urging the U.S. president to first push Cambodia to halt its attacks. “Don’t just say ceasefire—tell the world that Cambodia will stop firing, withdraw its forces, and remove all the explosives they planted, visibly and completely,” he said. “We have remained still. We have never wanted anything belonging to Cambodia. The party that violated the agreement must correct it—not the party that has been attacked.”
The U.S. previously pressured both nations into a ceasefire following five days of fighting in late July by threatening to withhold trade privileges. With clashes flaring again this week, Trump has reiterated that he intends to mediate and has said he expects to speak with the leaders of both countries by phone.
Should Washington threaten high tariffs on Thai exports as leverage, analysts warn the move could inflict serious harm on an already sluggish Thai economy
Immigration officers detain Chinese nationals during a raid on a motel in Bangkok’s Saphan Sung district on Dec. 12, 2025.
BANGKOK — Thai immigration officers arrested 14 Chinese nationals at a motel in Bangkok’s Saphan Sung district after receiving a tip about suspicious activity, authorities said Friday.
Officers began monitoring the area after a report that a group of Chinese foreigners had been staying at the motel and behaving unusually. Police said they observed several men moving in and out of the property with heightened caution over several days.
On December 12, immigration officers raided the motel and found 14 Chinese men staying in groups of three to four per room. Seven were able to present passports. Of those, three had overstayed their visas and four had no entry stamps indicating legal arrival in Thailand. The remaining seven had no passports at all.
Fourteen Chinese suspects are lined up for an official photo at Bang Chan Police Station in Bangkok after being arrested for illegal entry and visa violations on Dec. 12, 2025.
During questioning, the men told police they had illegally crossed into Thailand through Mae Sot district in Tak province to escape Myanmar’s intensified crackdown on scam syndicates. They said Thailand was a transit point as they planned to move on to a third country.
Officers charged the first three suspects with overstaying their permitted stay in the kingdom. The remaining 11 were charged with illegal entry and staying in the country without passing through an official immigration checkpoint. All 14 suspects were transferred to Bang Chan Police Station for legal proceedings.
The body of Pvt. Thanakorn Singhachat, killed in fighting with Cambodian forces near Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin province on Dec. 10, is returned to Maha Sarakham province for a royal bathing ceremony on Dec. 11, 2025.
T he value of a life for many Thais depends on their social status.
In the aftermath of the Hamas attack, which killed many Thai workers in Israel, I told the then Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv that the Thai middle and upper classes did not feel any particular anger or sense of special loss regarding the 40+ Thai victims (killed and held hostage) during the Hamas attack because the victims were mostly migrant workers from rural provinces with low levels of education. (If the Thai victims were Embassy staff, it would have been a totally different story.)
The middle/upper classes did not feel a kinship or see themselves reflected in those losses.
As for the Thailand-Cambodia conflict casualties, a similar pattern can be observed in the context of the border conflict:
All 10 fatalities were low-ranking soldiers, mostly with limited education, who were sons of villagers, laborers, and/or farmers.
The middle and upper classes in Bangkok consequently felt nothing special about the loss and the ultra-nationalist among them can go on calling for more military attack. (This feeling was perhaps amplified by Bangkok’s geographical distance—at least 250 km from the border, safely outside the range of a PHL-03 rocket, Cambodia’s most lethal weapons, which maxes out at 130 km).
The Voice of a Victim’s Family
Here’s the heartbreaking words of the grandmother of one of the fallen soldiers, highlighting the war victim’s impoverished background and sense of duty:
A grandmother of one of the Thai soldiers killed was quoted by Khaosod on Thursday as saying that her grandson “did not drink or smoke, probably because he knew he was struggling [economically].”
”Due to the family’s poor status, he only finished M.3 (Grade 9) and worked in construction, saving money to buy land for his grandmother. He once said that after being discharged, he would be ordained for his mother and grandmother, but that day will never come.”
This is the class-based empathy gap in Thai society, where the sacrifices of the underprivileged are often discounted or overlooked by the urban elite, or at least deemed as ‘acceptable’ price to be paid.
This morning, I watched Khaosod news clip interviewing a young Thai soldier at the border—and it’s tragic.
He said, “I want this to end quickly,” “I feel sorry for the villagers,” and “I feel sorry for ourselves, having to endure something like this.”
But the most heartbreaking part is that the young soldier spoke confusing that he came to fight “for something, for some kind of thing.”
Flood debris from Hat Yai’s recent inundation is piled into massive mounds at the Hat Yai Municipality waste holding area near the Saphan Dam intersection on Dec. 11, 2025.
HAT YAI — Organizers have moved the annual New Year countdown celebration from Hat Yai to neighboring Songkhla town as the southern commercial hub remains overwhelmed by waste left behind after severe flooding late last month, tourism and business leaders said.
Private sector groups estimate it could take more than a year to clear the debris, which has swamped roads, alleys and residential neighborhoods. The Koh Taeo waste-to-energy plant — Hat Yai’s primary disposal site — can incinerate only about 500 metric tons a day, while officials say the city is grappling with at least 250,000 tons of accumulated waste from some 70,000 households. Additional piles remain uncounted in smaller communities.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s order that Hat Yai be “clean within 14 days” technically remains in effect despite his dissolution of Parliament on December 12, but residents and business groups say the December 14 deadline is unrealistic.
Peoples walk near goods damaged from floods in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Sarot Meksophawannakul)
Waste Removal Progress
At a recent waste-management meeting, the Songkhla Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office reported that the cleanup of urban Hat Yai has been organized into four zones under a coordinated “Big Cleaning” operation involving the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the Royal Thai Army, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Transport.
A total of more than 2,196 personnel and 542 machines have been deployed, clearing over 329 kilometers of roads. As of December 11, officials had removed 95,307 tons of accumulated waste.
TPI Polene Power Plc began operating its incinerator on December 7 — weeks ahead of schedule — to help ease the backlog. The facility can burn 500 tons of waste per day and generate up to 9.9 megawatts of power. Provincial officials were also told to coordinate with other licensed waste-to-energy plants to provide additional capacity.
Impossible to Meet the 14-day Target
Songkhla Chamber of Commerce president Songphon Jungsiriwatthanathamrong told Prachachat Business that the volume of debris makes it impossible to meet the 14-day target. Main roads have seen visible progress, he said, but alleyways and neighborhoods remain buried under damaged belongings, shop inventories and furniture swept out by floodwaters.
“In my own neighborhood, waste is still everywhere,” Songphon said. “Decades of household belongings were washed out at the same time. Even with all agencies involved, it is unrealistic to expect it to disappear in a week.”
He said some temporary dumps resemble “mountains” of rotting waste and added that early estimates suggested it could take 300 days to clear — a timeline officials now say must be accelerated. He proposed renting mobile waste-treatment units to process debris on-site and reduce the need for long-haul transport.
New Year Event Relocated
Dr. Sitthipong Sitthipattharaprapa, president of the Hat Yai–Songkhla Hotel Association, said persistent waste and foul odors in Hat Yai’s alleyways have damaged the city’s image, prompting the decision to relocate New Year’s Eve festivities to coastal Songkhla.
He said tourists will still be encouraged to stay in Hat Yai, where 40 to 50 hotels have reopened, though many remain closed for repairs.
Tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia visit Hat Yai in Songkhla province to celebrate the end of 2024, in a photo released by the Gim Yong page.
“If we hold the event in Hat Yai, the mood simply will not work,” Sitthipong said. “Inviting Malaysian tourists when garbage still lines the alleys would be embarrassing — and with social media, it would spread immediately.”
He said authorities have not presented a clear disposal plan beyond the 500-ton-per-day capacity at the Koh Taeo plant. “I understand the province alone does not have enough capacity,” he said. “Many sectors are helping, but it is still not sufficient.”
Officials say cleanup efforts will continue beyond the Dec. 14 target as the province works with national agencies to accelerate waste removal.
Unisus Green Energy Company Limited, Thailand’s first and leading expert in private district utility design and implementation, and SRT Asset Company Limited (SRTA), the asset management arm of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly conduct a feasibility study for developing central utility plants (CUP) in the Bang Sue development project over an area of more than 1,200 rai. The study’s objective is to transform the area into a model smart city that facilitates maximum energy efficiency and serves as Bangkok’s transportation hub.
This signing is a crucial milestone in the development of the “Bang Sue Smart City,” a project which SRTA plans to undertake with a total investment value exceeding 200 billion Thai baht. This collaboration focuses on the exchange of data and expertise to conduct the feasibility study for the essential infrastructure needed for a modern smart city, including district cooling plants designed for air conditioning, accompanied with thermal energy storages (TES) for efficient energy use. Additionally the scope of study covers smart water management systems, wastewater collection and treatment systems, electrical systems and clean energy, integrated solid waste management systems, fire protection systems, disaster warning systems, emergency response plans, and a smart energy management center.
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