As urban professionals increasingly turn to serviced apartments for a better balance of work, family, and lifestyle, ONYX Hospitality Group is spotlighting its Shama brand — a growing collection of residences in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China. Designed to meet the needs of today’s new generation of city dwellers, Shama offers the flexibility, convenience, and community that redefine the modern urban home.
Shama: A New Way of Living
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Shama is more than just a place to stay; it is a new way of living. Offering flexibility, convenience, and a better quality of life, Shama is redefining the modern home for city dwellers across Asia.
Scene of fatal lion attack at Bangkok safari park on September 10, 2025.
BANGKOK — A zoo employee was killed by lions at a Bangkok safari park on Wednesday after violating company safety protocols, police revealed following their investigation into the tragic incident.
The victim, Jian, was a 58-year-old animal caretaker for lions and tigers who had worked at the zoo for 30 years. The attack occurred around 11:00 a.m. on September 10 when the experienced staff member exited his vehicle to retrieve an item he had dropped at the safari park located in Bangkok’s Khannayao district, according to Police Colonel Niruchpon Yothamat of Khannayao Police Station.
While bending down to pick up the object with his back turned to the lions, one of the animals approached from about 10 meters away and pounced on him from behind. The lion dragged the employee to the ground and began mauling him before three to four other lions joined the attack.
Police inspect the scene where lions fatally attacked a 58-year-old employee at Bangkok safari park on September 10ม 2025.
The assault continued for approximately 15 minutes while horrified tourists – both Thai and foreign visitors – watched helplessly from their vehicles, honking horns and shouting in attempts to scare the lions away.
Witness Account
Colonel Dr. Thawatchai Kanchanarin, a former surgeon at Phramongkutklao Hospital who witnessed the incident, said many people initially thought the lions were simply being playful with a familiar staff member. “People thought the lions might just be trying to embrace him, so no one approached the area,” he explained.
Dr. Thawatchai said he was surprised from the moment he saw the employee get out of the vehicle and stand motionless for about 2-3 minutes before the lions dragged him down while his back was turned. The victim never screamed or called for help.
Police inspect the scene where lions fatally attacked a 58-year-old employee at Bangkok safari park on September 10ม 2025.
Expert Analysis
A veterinarian from the Department of National Parks offered the opinion that, based on video footage, the lions’ behavior might have been playful due to their familiarity with the keeper. However, because of their size, this resulted in fatal injuries. The lions were not fully mature – in their pre-adolescent stage – so they were experimenting with hunting prey through playful mauling.
Medical Examination
Medical staff at Intararat Hospital confirmed that all of the victim’s organs remained intact, with only bite marks and claw scratches causing severe wounds, particularly around the neck, abdomen, and right leg. The Police Hospital’s Forensic Institute will conduct an autopsy before releasing the body to the family for religious ceremonies.
Official Response
Atthapol Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said he immediately ordered officials from the Wildlife Conservation Office and CITES Office to inspect the Safari World area. The incident occurred in the drive-through safari tourism zone.
Screenshot from safari lion video that Jian posted on Facebook in 2023.
Initial findings show the safari legally operates with proper permits and houses 32 lions, all legally owned and mostly imported from Africa. However, it remains unclear why the lions attacked their keeper, as monthly safety inspections had never revealed any history of animals harming staff. Additional safety measures will be reviewed to prevent future emergencies.
Safari Management Statement
Yutthana Phitaktha, Safari Zone Park Manager of Safari World, said the zoo has temporarily closed the area for safety and secured all lions in cages. He emphasized that the zoo maintains safety measures exceeding 300% requirements and that in 40 years of operation, no such incident has ever occurred before.
Jian’s primary responsibility was driving to keep animals within designated road boundaries to prevent tourist vehicle collisions. He had never been complained about or violated any rules, and was known for his calm temperament. However, it’s unknown whether he had any mental health issues or depression. The zoo expressed condolences to the victim’s family and has measures to provide family support according to company regulations.
Police inspect the scene where lions fatally attacked a 58-year-old employee at Bangkok safari park on September 10ม 2025.
Family’s Grief
Ratanapa, the victim’s wife, said she was shocked and couldn’t accept what happened. Her husband had worked at Safari World since he was young and was approaching retirement. “He loved this job, loved animals, and was very calm and careful. Just two days ago, we talked about life after retirement – buying a small plot of land to become farmers. He was very strong, not stressed, had no family problems, and wasn’t suffering from depression.”
Colonel Dr. Thawatchai Kanchanarin, a former surgeon at Phramongkutklao Hospital who witnessed the incident, said many people initially thought the lions were simply being playful with a familiar staff member. “People thought the lions might just be trying to embrace him, so no one approached the area,” he explained.
Nepalese army personnel patrol the streets in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Armed soldiers guarded the streets of Nepal’s capital Wednesday, ordering people to stay home in an attempt to restore order after tens of thousands of protesters stormed and set fire to government buildings and attacked politicians.
Soldiers with weapons guarding the main areas of Kathmandu appeared to give some sense of control returning to the city that was overtaken by violence and chaos in previous days.
The army warned in an announcement late Tuesday that the security forces were committed to preserving law and order. The army is rarely mobilized and so far had stayed in its barracks, but police have failed to control the situation.
Nepalese army personnel check and question civilians at a checkpoint in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Soldiers told people in Kathmandu that the curfew was valid and checked vehicles and people. The army in a statement said 21 suspected looters had been arrested.
The protests had grown increasingly violent Tuesday as demonstrators set fire to government buildings and politicians’ homes and attacked some leaders. The prime minister resigned amid widening criticism of the country’s political elite, though it appeared to have little effect on the unrest.
Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets late in the day, blocking roads and storming government facilities. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.
Anger over social media ban was just the beginning
On Monday, demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the capital, and police opened fire on the crowds, killing 19 people.
The social media ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, fueled by rage over the deaths and accusations of political corruption.
Nepalese army soldiers disperse protesters from Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
President Ram Chandra Poudel, the ceremonial head of state, appealed to the protesters to pursue a peaceful resolution and stop further escalation. He accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli and appointed Oli to lead a caretaker government until a new one is in place — though it was unclear what power he would wield or even where he was.
The demonstrations — called the protest of Gen Z — began after the government blocked social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.
But the protests spiraled to reflect broader discontent. In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders — so-called nepo kids — seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work. With youth unemployment running at about 20% last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates that more than 2,000 young people leave the country every day to seek work in the Middle East or Southeast Asia.
Political leaders, buildings and homes were targeted
Videos shared on social media showed protesters beating up Nepali Congress party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, the current foreign minister. Both appeared to be bleeding, while one video showed the party leader being helped to safety. The party is the country’s largest and is part of the governing coalition.
An ambulance drives past protesters burning tires to block streets during protests against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Smoke was still coming out of the parliament building, presidential house, the central secretariat that has the offices of the prime minister and key ministries, and the prime minister’s official residence Wednesday.
The building of Kantipur publication, the biggest media outlet in Nepal, was torched and damaged. Car showrooms were also torched. Burned-out vehicles dotted the streets.
Protesters had attacked government buildings and the residences of the top political leaders throughout Tuesday, blaming the government for the police opening fire on the protesters.
In addition to the 19 fatalities, scores of people were wounded. Oli has ordered an investigation report on the shootings and promised compensation to the families.
The government is seeking to regulate social media
The violence unfolded as Nepal’s government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online.
The bill would require companies to appoint a liaison office or a point of contact in the country. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and fundamental rights.
The registration requirement applied to about two dozen social networks widely used in Nepal. Those that didn’t comply were blocked last week, though TikTok, Viber and three other platforms that registered were operating without interruption.
Thanks to a regional project, seven Southeast Asian schools have made positive and potentially sustainable impacts on their students via school breakfast or lunch initiatives.
“Their students have developed hygienic habits, like washing their hands before meals, and become more cautious about food choices,” said Ms. Duriya Amatavivat, Director of SEAMEO Regional Centre for Sufficiency Economy Philosophy for Sustainability (SEAMEO SEPS).
The Centre, in collaboration with the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN) and Chevron, has implemented the Promotion of Well-being in Schools in Southeast Asia Project at the regional level since June 2024. During the first phase, participating schools engaged in capacity building and developed proposals to upgrade their school lunch/feeding programs. These proposals were then implemented with financial grants from last December to June this year at seven selected schools with results.
Winners of the project’s grant awards, which hail from Thailand namely Ban Pangmahan School and Aroyama Border Patrol Police school, Smet Primary School from Cambodia, Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) from Malaysia, Patiis Elementary School from Philippines, Sekolah Rendah Pehin Dato Jamil&Sekolah Rendah Pengiran Anak Puteri Besar from Brunei Darussalam andSD Negeri 2 Landasan Ulin Barat from Indonesia, shared their success stories at the Seminar on the Integration of One Health and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) for Sustainable School Well-being earlier this month.
Duriya now expects all the seven winners of the Promotion of Well-being in Schools in Southeast Asia Project’s grants to share their know-how with between eight and ten nearby schools each.
Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas’ leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as they considered a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages.
Qatar, an energy-rich U.S. ally hosting thousands of American troops, has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas for several years, even before the war. It condemned what it referred to as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt in the strike. Hamas has survived numerous assassinations of top leaders and is still intact in Gaza, despite having suffered major blows since the outbreak of the war triggered by its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, saying “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.”
Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)
Israel had long threatened Hamas in Qatar
Israel has long threatened to strike Hamas leaders wherever they are. While it has often welcomed Qatar’s role as a mediator, alongside Egypt, it has also accused the Gulf nation of not putting enough pressure on the group.
In contrast to previous Israeli operations against senior militants abroad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to publicly claim the strike, saying: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it and Israel takes full responsibility.”
He said the decision was taken Monday after a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed six people and an attack on Israeli forces in Gaza that killed four soldiers.
The military said it used “precise munitions and additional intelligence” in the strike, without elaborating. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details beyond the statement, confirmed the strike targeted Hamas.
The Israeli official and another person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly said Israel alerted the U.S. ahead of time. Pentagon officials referred questions to the White House, where officials did not immediately respond.
Qatar condemned what it referred to as a “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” and said Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior.”
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar said that it had instituted a shelter-in-place order for its facilities.
Ceasefire negotiations in question
Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was giving his “last warning” to Hamas regarding a possible ceasefire, as the U.S. advanced a new proposal that Arab officials said included the immediate release of all the hostages.
A senior Hamas official called it a “humiliating surrender document,” but the militant group said it would discuss the proposal and respond within days.
An Egyptian official said the strike came when a meeting by Hamas officials over the talks had been scheduled for the site. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters.
The proposal, presented by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, calls for a negotiated end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza once the hostages are released and a ceasefire is established. That’s according to Egyptian and Hamas officials familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions.
Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders from Gaza City. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 48 hostages, around 20 of them believed to be alive, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying the war will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, with Israel maintaining open-ended security control over Gaza.
Mediators had previously focused on brokering a temporary ceasefire and the release of some hostages, with the two sides then holding talks on a more permanent truce. Witkoff walked away from those talks in July, after which Hamas accepted a proposal that the mediators said was almost identical to an earlier one that Israel had approved.
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister, expressed “full solidarity with our dear Qatar” shortly after the attack.
The United Arab Emirates recently warned Israel that any move to annex the occupied West Bank would threatened the Abraham Accords, a landmark agreement brokered by Trump during his first term in which the two nations normalized relations.
Trump hopes to expand those accords to include regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, but those prospects have dimmed as the war has ground on.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the strike as a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of international law” in a phone call with Qatar’s ruler.
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Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Aamer Madhani in Washington, contributed.
A protester throws a photograph of Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli in the fire at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s prime minister resigned Tuesday as protests against a short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent and expanded into broader criticism of his government and accusations of corruption among the Himalayan country’s political elite.
The resignation appeared to have little effect on the demonstrations. Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets late in the day, blocking roads, storming government buildings and setting them on fire, and, in some cases, attacking political leaders. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.
A day earlier, demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the country’s capital, and police opened fired on the crowds, killing 19 people.
Protesters shout slogans during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
The ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, fueled by anger over the deaths and growing frustration with the political elite in the nation wedged between China and India.
As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli announced he was stepping down. The president accepted the resignation and appointed Oli to lead a caretaker government until a new one is in place — though it was unclear what power he would wield or even where he was.
President Ram Chandra Poudel, the ceremonial head of state, made a public appeal to the protesters to come forward for dialogue to find a peaceful resolution and stop further escalating of the situation.
The army issued a statement calling for calm and urging political dialogue, but did not give any other details.
Protesters celebrate at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various ministries and offices after burning it down during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Focus turns to the government
The demonstrations — called the protest of Gen Z — began after the government blocked platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.
But they spiraled to reflect broader discontent. In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders — so-called Nepo Kids — seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work. With youth unemployment running at about 20% last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates that more than 2,000 young people leave the country every day to seek work in the Middle East or southeast Asia.
“I am here to protest about the massive corruption in our country,” said Bishnu Thapa Chetri, a student. “The country has gotten so bad that for us youths there is no grounds for us to stay.”
Videos shared on social media showed protesters beating up Nepali Congress party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, the current foreign minister. Both appeared to be bleeding, while one video showed the party leader being helped to safety. The party is the country’s largest and is part of the governing coalition.
Nepalese army soldiers disperse protesters from Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
‘See that justice is done’
Local media and videos on social media also showed protesters attacking government buildings and the residences of the top political leaders throughout Tuesday.
The presidential palace, the prime minister’s official residence, and a building that houses the offices of the prime minster and several ministries were all torched. Thick smoke rose from the prime minister’s office building.
Earlier, Oli’s private home was set on fire, as were those of the president, home minister and the Deubas. The home of the leader of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was also set ablaze.
Some protesters blamed the government for the police opening fire and called for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular prime minister.
“We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed, we are here to see that justice is done and the present regime is ousted,” said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday. “K.P. Oli should be chased away.”
Protesters celebrate at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various ministries and offices, after burning it down during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Police fire on crowds
Monday’s rallies swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators.
“Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving national flags.
Seven of the 19 killed and scores of the wounded were taken to the National Trauma Center, the country’s main hospital.
“Many of them are in serious condition and appear to have been shot in the head and chest,” said Dr. Badri Risa, who works at the hospital. Families waited for news of their relatives while people lined up to donate blood.
Before he resigned, Oli said he would form an investigating committee that would submit a report on the shooting in 15 days. He added that compensation would be given to the families of those who were killed and those who were wounded would receive free treatment.
Riot police use water cannon on protesters during clashes outside parliament building in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Social media ban
The violence unfolded as Nepal’s government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online.
The bill would require companies to appoint a liaison office or a point of contact in the country. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and fundamental rights.
The registration requirement applied to about two dozen social networks widely used in Nepal.
Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Elon Musk’s X platform also did not respond.
TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operated without interruption.
Nepal in 2023 banned TikTok for disrupting “social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials.” The ban was lifted last year after TikTok’s executives pledged to comply with local laws, including a ban of pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.
Thai police raid a warehouse facility in Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian district and seize 20,000 packaged e-cigarettes ready for distribution, on September 9, 2025.
BANGKOK — Thai police have dismantled a sophisticated e-cigarette smuggling and manufacturing network operated by Chinese nationals, arresting 13 suspects and confiscating hundreds of thousands of illegal vaping devices in coordinated raids.
The Economic Crime Suppression Division executed search warrants on September 9 at a warehouse facility in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district, where Chinese investors had established a clandestine production and distribution center for electronic cigarettes.
Police Colonel Taspoom Charuprachya led the operation that resulted in the arrest of two Chinese managers — Mr. Deng, 27, and Mr. Gao, 37 — along with 11 Myanmar nationals working without permits. Investigators seized 20,000 packaged e-cigarettes ready for distribution, plus manufacturing equipment, liquid storage containers, and raw materials imported from China.
“This warehouse served as a central hub for distributing e-cigarettes and vaping liquids to networks across multiple provinces,” police said in a statement.
Thai police raid a warehouse facility in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district and seize 20,000 packaged e-cigarettes ready for distribution, on September 9, 2025.
The Chinese managers face charges for operating an illegal e-cigarette business, while the Myanmar workers are charged with working without proper documentation. All suspects have been transferred to investigators for prosecution.
In a simultaneous operation, excise officials and Saraburi police raided a rental property in Wihar Daeng district, uncovering an additional 350,000 e-cigarettes being stored and transported from Bangkok’s Khlong Toei Port.
Officials inspect a pickup truck loaded with illegal e-cigarettes during a raid in Saraburi Province’s Wihar Daeng district, where authorities seized 350,000 vaping devices on September 9, 2025.
The crackdowns align with the Pheu Thai government’s intensified campaign against e-cigarettes, which have proliferated among Thai youth despite being banned. A 20-agency task force established to combat the problem has confiscated over 1.2 million vaping products in March 2025.
Under current Thai law, buying, selling, or using e-cigarettes carries penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and fines reaching 1 million baht ($31,575).
Tourists arrive to check in for their flights at the Techo International Airport on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Sept. 9,2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
KANDAL, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Tuesday opened the capital’s new Techo International Airport as officials welcomed an inaugural flight to great fanfare, with the hope of boosting tourism.
Fire trucks crisscrossed streams of water over the Air Cambodia flight from China as it taxied to the terminal in the new $2 billion facility located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of Phnom Penh.
The new three-runway facility replaces the nearly 70-year-old Phnom Penh International Airport which had only one runway. It had been scheduled to be operational in July but the opening was delayed for a technical issue.
Cabin crew of the first commercial flight that landed receive flowers from government officials at the Techo International Airport during its official opening on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Sept. 9,2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
“The opening is a major step for Cambodia’s aviation and economy,” former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on social media.
“It’s a great honor to be one of the first passengers to use the airport and it looks absolutely amazing,” said Briton David Weare, who arrived on a flight from Singapore later Tuesday. “I can’t wait to get through and see the rest of it.”
In 2024, Phnom Penh International Airport saw 4.75 million passengers. The new airport is initially expected to be able to accommodate 13 million passengers, but that capacity will increase to 30 million after 2030 and up to 50 million by 2050.
The opening follows the inauguration of the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport in 2023 near the country’s most popular tourist attraction, the centuries-old Angkor Wat temple complex and comes as Cambodia looks to capitalize on the lucrative tourism industry.
The first commercial flight that arrived is welcomed with water cannons, during the official opening of Techo International Airport on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
In 2024, some 6.7 million international tourists visited the Southeast Asian country, a 23% increase from 2023.
But tensions between Cambodia and neighboring Thailand could complicate efforts to attract more tourists, with at least 41 soldiers and civilians being killed in armed border clashes before a shaky truce was reached on July 28.
While the new airport in Siem Reap was financed by China, the Techo International Airport is a joint venture between the Cambodian government and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corp, according to authorities.
A passenger, right, attends to her belongings during a security check at the Techo International Airport on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Sept. 9,2025. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
The airport’s name “Techo,” or powerful in the Khmer language, is an honorific given to top army commanders in Cambodia, including Hun Sen.
It was designed by Britain’s Foster + Partners and built by the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co. Ltd.
By Tuesday’s inauguration, the airport’s initial $1.5 billion price tag had risen to $2 billion, said Sinn Chanserey Vutha, spokesperson for Cambodia’s civil aviation authority.
Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took over from his father Hun Sen in 2023 after winning elections that were criticized internationally as being neither free nor fair, said in May that Phnom Penh’s old airport will continue to be maintained even with the opening of the new facility.
The Cambodian military will continue to use the facility and the runway will also be kept available in case of emergency.
CHONBURI — Thailand has designated 23 prisons as “tourist destinations” as part of a sweeping transformation of its corrections system that aims to rehabilitate inmates while addressing the country’s labor shortages and boosting the economy.
The bold initiative, unveiled during the Department of Corrections’ 110th anniversary celebration, features prison-run restaurants, cafes, and shops staffed entirely by trained inmates. The flagship “Chuan Chom” restaurant brand has expanded to 122 branches nationwide, known for cleanliness, flavor and affordability.
Deputy Director-General Chan Wachiradet told Prachacahet Business the new “model prison” at Chonburi Central Prison, explaining how the program transforms correctional facilities into venues where visitors can “eat, drink, learn and discover” while inmates gain real job skills for life after release.
Developing inmate potential
As of August 1, 2025, there were 300,246 prisoners nationwide: 262,688 men and 37,558 women. The prison population, which had once reached 400,000, fell by 200,000 before COVID-19, but has risen again due to economic hardship, unemployment and drugs.
The department has around 10,000 officers, 60% of whom are guards, which equates to one officer for every 40 inmates—well above the international standard of 1:5.
Deputy Director-General Chan Wachiradet
Nevertheless, the department continues to run vocational training programs geared to the needs of the labor market and works with private companies to provide inmates with real work experience and employment opportunities, giving them the chance to showcase modern, well-designed prison products that are sold both offline and online.
The department is now focusing on unlocking the potential of individual inmates, often through Royal Initiative projects including the TO BE NUMBER ONE project.
Products and Shops Step Into a New Era
With the commitment to rebrand both people and products through vocational training in prisons, the goods produced in prisons—from furniture, household goods, fabrics and traditional Thai handicrafts to food, baked goods and Thai massages—have become more distinctive, attractive and affordable.
“Krua Chuan Chom,” a restaurant brand known for its cleanliness, flavor and affordability, has become a flagship for the Department. Building on this success, the department has expanded with “Cook & Coff” and “Hub Phuey Café.”
Krua Chuan Chom is a restaurant located in the vocational training center at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.
There are now 122 branches nationwide, with 23 prisons officially designated as “tourist prisons.” The special feature is that the staff are trained inmates, meaning no external employees are required.
Crucially, these programs provide real, transferable skills for life after release. Training covers a wide range of areas including culinary arts, agriculture, health and lifestyle services, music and performing arts.
A Second Chance for the Inmates
This training system strengthens both quality and diversity in the front of house and transforms the back of house into a classroom where life and job skills are developed. The result is a new kind of destination where you can eat, drink, learn and discover. The model creates a foundation for growth, from kitchens, vegetable gardens and workshops to shops.
“Every touchpoint is a real lesson that converts skills into future income—a second chance for the inmates,” Chan said.
Vocational skills training by the Department of Corrections
The reorganization has led to new partnerships with public and private institutions. These collaborations aim to offer specialized training and employment opportunities. Notable examples include:
Kamlangjai Project (Inspire Project): This royal initiative of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha focuses on product development.
Royal Silk Designs: HRH Princess Sirivannavari designs silk products.
SUPPORT Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand: Partnership involving cooperation with the center.
SCG Projects: Collaborations extend to various projects with SCG.
Knowledge and Reading for Sentence Reduction
One of the department’s key policies is providing education to inmates through the “Read for Release” program, which promotes knowledge through reading, develops reading habits, and creates opportunities for honest employment to support themselves and their families.
Twenty-one pilot prisons have launched the reading initiative for grade advancement starting in April 2025, with 1,059 inmates already participating in the program.
Reading for grade advancement requires evaluation results from reading 2 books (1 mandatory category book and 1 free choice book) that have not been previously used for grade consideration. Inmates must demonstrate their reading comprehension through 6 formats (inmates choose 2): storytelling, writing, reading aloud, mind mapping, drawing, and creative work production.
Currently, 970 inmates have passed the evaluation, representing a 91.60% success rate.
“Read for Release” program, which promotes knowledge through reading, develops reading habits, and creates opportunities for honest employment to support inmates and their families.
One District, One Industrial Prison
Since 2023, Thailand has designated 11 leading prisons across 10 districts as industrial training centers under the “One District, One Industrial Prison” policy. The initiative addresses both labor shortages and prisoner rehabilitation by partnering with companies to provide real job training.
The program operates on a simple principle: “If companies have a labor shortage, those who have stumbled and are in prison can fill the gap.” Prisoners gain factory skills before release while companies benefit from no rental costs, tax breaks, and paying only 50% wages in the first year.
The timing is strategic. Many industries previously relied on migrant workers who have now shifted to other sectors like durian processing, leaving factories understaffed. Industrial prisons offer a solution, particularly in industrialized provinces like Chonburi, Chachoengsao and Rayong.
“Why not turn the crisis into an opportunity? Let the Thai people and local communities embrace these jobs and empower each other. The people behind the prison walls are already being prepared for this,” said Deputy Director-General Chan Wachiradet.
The program focuses on six key areas: Education, Agriculture, Special Skills, Products, Sports and Industry, preparing inmates for sustainable employment upon release.
Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, and his daughter and former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, right, arrive at Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and GRANT PECK
BANGKOK (AP) — Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire former prime minister of Thailand, remains one of the country’s most influential and controversial figures nearly two decades after being ousted in a 2006 military coup. His political journey, marked by unprecedented popularity, a dramatic fall from power, years in self-imposed exile and a high-profile return, continues to shape Thailand’s political landscape.
Thaksin’s dramatic path took another turn Tuesday when the Supreme Court ruled that he must serve a one-year prison term for previous convictions on graft and abuse of power charges, after investigating whether officials had mishandled his return to Thailand in 2023 to begin serving the sentences.
Last month, he defied expectations when a court that has historically leaned against him and his political machine acquitted him of royal defamation, an offense that could have sent him to prison for up to 15 years.
Despite powerful enemies in the Thai establishment and criminal convictions for corruption, he had avoided prison by going into exile after his ouster. His return had seemed to signal an accommodation with his opponents.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, left, and his daughter and newly elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrive before the royal endorsement ceremony appointing Paetongtarn as Thailand’s new prime minister at Pheu Thai party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit).
He was insistent on maintaining a high public profile and was seen as the real power directing the government that was formed as he returned, especially when his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, became prime minister last year. It appeared to keep his old enmities alive and embroiled him in legal challenges from those wishing to curb his influence.
Thaksin’s beginnings
The Shinawatra family is prominent in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where Thaksin was born to a mercantile family in 1949. After a career in public service as a police colonel, Thaksin became a business entrepreneur in the late 1970s. He built a telecommunications empire starting with Advanced Info Systems, an early mobile phone service provider and the primary source of his fortune.
He entered politics in 1994, holding Cabinet posts before establishing the Thai Rak Thai Party in 1998. Using his fortune to build a nationwide political machine, he promoted populist policies that resonated with lower-income citizens, especially in the countryside.
His platform promised to spread economic growth and bridge the wealth gap, with signature policies including universal healthcare and village development funds. This led to landslide victories for his party in 2001 and 2005, making him the first elected Thai prime minister to complete a four-year term and the country’s longest-serving democratically elected leader.
FILE – Thai telecommunication tycoon and leader of Thai Rak Thai Party Thaksin Shinawatra waves during campaign rally in Bangkok Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
Powerful foes
However, Thaksin’s massive popularity and electoral support rocked Thailand’s established political order. This earned him powerful enemies among conservative forces, including the army and the courts, which saw him as a threat to the monarchy, the bedrock of Thai identity, as well as to their own influence.
He also faced criticism for his imperious CEO-style governance, intolerance of criticism, especially from the media, and failure to distance his business interests from government policy. His administration was also blamed for setting off a persistent Muslim insurgency in Thailand’s southern provinces and for what human rights advocates said were more than 2,000 extrajudicial killings during his war on drugs.
His second term was cut short by a military coup in 2006 while he was abroad. Opponents accused him of corruption, abuse of power, and disrespecting then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and hounded him with legal cases that he characterized as politically motivated.
FILE – Newly-elected Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, is photographed with his wife Pojamarn, left, son Parntongtae, second left, and daughters Paetongtarn, right, and Pintongta, second right, after receiving the royal command appointed him as Thailand’s 23rd prime minister at a ceremony at his residence in Bangkok Friday, Feb. 9, 2001. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit,File)
Thaksin’s ouster triggered nearly two decades of deep political polarization, pitting his supporters against opponents, including better-off urban dwellers, ardent royalists and the military. He briefly returned in 2008 to face charges but skipped bail and fled abroad again, commencing a self-imposed exile lasting over a decade.
Leading from overseas
Despite his physical absence, Thaksin remained a beloved and influential figure among his followers, whom he encouraged remotely. Parties formed from the ashes of his Thai Rak Thai Party and, still under his influence, consistently won elections but just as consistently were driven from office by legal challenges in courts hostile to him and destabilizing street protests.
His supporters, the “Red Shirts,” engaged in militant street actions, countering “Yellow Shirt” royalists, with both sides responsible for street violence.
FILE – Pro-government and supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra listen ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to speak from overseas exile to his supporters at Rajamangala national stadium in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit,File)
His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, continued the family’s legacy, leading the Pheu Thai Party to victory in 2011 and becoming Thailand’s first female prime minister. Her government’s proposed amnesty for Thaksin triggered protests, leading to another military coup in 2014 — and driving Yingluck into exile as well.
While in exile, Thaksin, who had his Thai passport revoked, obtained another from Montenegro through investment and spent significant time in Dubai. He also purchased and sold the Manchester City Football Club and invested in mining in Africa.
Returning home
Thaksin’s return became possible after the progressive Move Forward Party’s victory in 2023 rattled the establishment that had so abhorred him. This led to what many called a “self-serving deal” between Thaksin and his former conservative foes, a move that alienated many supporters even as it returned Pheu Thai to power while keeping Move Forward out of government.
His dramatic return to Bangkok in August 2023 occurred on the same day Pheu Thai formed a new coalition government, after royalist Senators refused to endorse Move Forward’s mandate from the voters.
Upon his return, Thaksin was sentenced to an eight-year prison term for corruption but was immediately transferred to a fancy hospital suite due to ill health, a diagnosis regarded with skepticism by many. His sentence was reduced to a single year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and he was released on parole in February 2024 after six months.
FILE – Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
Critics questioned his illness, viewing his abbreviated stay as a “special privilege.” Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling said his transfer to the hospital did not follow proper procedures and that his health condition could not justify his extended stay there.
Since his release from hospital, Thaksin has maintained a high public profile, traveling around the country and offering political observations. He is widely considered the de facto leader of Pheu Thai and the power behind its government.
However, his daughter Paetongtarn was ousted as prime minister last month after a court found her guilty of an ethics violation for a politically compromising phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
Pheu Thai exited its two years in power after Parliament last week confirmed a candidate from a rival party as the new prime minister. Many see this as a major blow to the political influence Thaksin has wielded for more than two decades.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, second from left, leaves the Supreme Court for Bangkok Remand Prison in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Panumas Sanguanwong)
