In this photo released on Sunday, July 20, 2025, by Myanmar Military True News Information Team, Myanmar military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, center left, pays respect together with his cabinet members and officials during the 78th anniversary of Martyrs' Day to mark the assassination of the country's independence heroes. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
BANGKOK (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony on Saturday honoring General Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
It was the first time that 69-year-old Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs’ Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. The leader’s appearance comes as his embattled government is preparing to hold elections while fighting armed opposition groups across the country.
Martyrs’ Day was an important event in Myanmar’s calendar for decades, but the military has downplayed the holiday in recent years. It commemorates the assassination of Aung San, a former Prime Minister who was gunned down at the age of 32 along with six Cabinet colleagues and two other officials in 1947, just months before the country — then called Burma — achieved freedom from British colonial rule. A political rival, former Prime Minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack.
A Myanmar national flag flies over railway station at half-staff during the 78th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day to mark the assassination of the country’s independence heroes, including Gen. Aung San, late father of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo)
Suu Kyi was absent from the ceremony for a fifth year
Suu Kyi, who was detained when the army took over in 2021, was absent from the event for a fifth consecutive year. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as contrived charges meant to keep her from political activity. She has not been seen in public since her arrest.
Ye Aung Than, a son of Suu Kyi’s estranged older brother, laid a wreath in front of his grandfather’s tomb during the main ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
With Myanmar national flags flying at half-staff, members of the ruling military council, and cabinet, as well as high-ranking military generals joined Min Aung Hlaing in placing a basket of flowers in front of the tombs of the nine martyrs.
As the ceremony was held, people in Yangon paid tribute to independence leaders by blaring car horns and sirens at 10:37 a.m., the time of the 1947 attack.
Democracy supporters also held scattered rallies in parts of the country that are not under military control.
Poeple walk past at a blocked road during the 78th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day to mark the assassination of the country’s independence heroes, including Gen. Aung San, late father of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo)
The military government is planning elections later this year
The event comes five months before elections that the military has promised to hold by the end of this year.
The poll is widely seen as an attempt to legitimize the military’s seizure of power through the ballot box and is expected to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control.
The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread nonviolent protests, but after peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
Since the army took power, 6,974 people including poets, activists, politicians and others have been killed, and 29,405 people have been arrested by the security forces, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to the nation’s political conflicts. The military government calls that figure an exaggeration.
The military, which is now estimated to control less than half the country, has been accelerating its counter-offensives to retake areas controlled by opposition groups ahead of the election.
Prime Minister and Culture Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visits an injured soldier who was wounded by an explosive device in the border area of Nam Yuen District at Sapphasitprasong Army Camp Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani Province on July 18, 2025.
BANGKOK — Thailand is demanding accountability from Cambodia after discovering eight newly-planted landmines in Thai territory that injured three soldiers, with Thai military officials threatening retaliation while Cambodia denies responsibility.
Diplomatic and military tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified following a July 16 incident where three Thai soldiers were injured by landmines during a border patrol in the Chong Bok area of Ubon Ratchathani Province.
Thai Military Demands Action
Thai authorities have presented what they claim is clear evidence that Cambodia violated the Ottawa Convention by planting new anti-personnel mines in Thai territory. Colonel Somchok Jantasi, Commander of Humanitarian Mine Action Unit 3, reported finding eight newly-placed mines at two locations, positioned 100-150 meters beyond Cambodia’s military deployment line.
“The mines were placed on the surface, covered with leaves, and showed clear markings indicating they were new,” Colonel Somchok stated. “If they were old, they would have been covered with vegetation.”
Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region displays photographic evidence of landmines discovered in the disputed border area at Suranaree Force Headquarters on July 19.
Major General Witthaya Laiyathomya, spokesman for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, outlined Thailand’s demands for Cambodia to take “concrete responsibility” by conducting a transparent investigation, punishing perpetrators, preventing future incidents, and providing compensation for damages.
Military Retaliation Threatened
Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region, announced preparations for military retaliation, emphasizing that no government approval is needed for tactical responses.
“There is no need to wait for orders from the government, as it is a tactical matter that the 2nd Army Region can act on immediately,” Boonsin declared. He estimated that hundreds more mines may be scattered along the border and confirmed plans to clear all mines in Thai territory.
Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region, gives an interview at Suranaree Force Headquarters in Nok Mueang subdistrict, Mueang district, Surin province on July 19, 2025.
Army Chief General Pana Klaewplodtook stated that the evidence provides “Thailand’s justification in taking retaliatory measures against Cambodia, both militarily and diplomatically.”
Cambodia Denies Allegations
Cambodia has firmly rejected all accusations, with their government sending a letter to Thai authorities on July 19 denying responsibility. Cambodia emphasized its commitment to the Ottawa Convention and called the accusations unfounded.
However, Thai military sources claim to have obtained crucial video evidence showing a Cambodian soldier carrying and burying a TM-57 landmine near the Thai border. The footage, originally posted on Cambodian social media before being deleted, contradicts Cambodia’s denial statements.
Government Response
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the three injured soldiers at Sapphasitprasong Army Camp Hospital on July 18, praising their courage and promising full government care and compensation. She confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the facts while urgent mine-clearing operations continue in the affected area.
The incident has raised concerns about border security, with Thai officials implementing stricter screening measures at checkpoints while emphasizing that tensions should not escalate into broader conflict between the two nations’ peoples.
Cambodia’s statement sent to the Thai government on July 19, 2025, denying involvement with the landmines that injured Thai soldiers.
International Implications
Thailand plans to file a formal complaint with the United Nations regarding Cambodia’s alleged violation of the Ottawa Convention, which both countries signed prohibiting the use of anti-personnel mines. The case represents a significant test of international mine ban treaty enforcement in Southeast Asia.
The border dispute centers on areas where Cambodia doesn’t recognize Thai sovereignty, including Prasat Ta Muean Thom, Prasat Ta Kwai, and Prasat Ta Muean Tot, complicating potential solutions to the current crisis.
Background Context
The latest round of Thai-Cambodia tensions began with a brief clash between the two sides in the Chong Bok area, which resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier from gunfire. This led to confrontations and the implementation of border checkpoint control measures along the entire border between the two countries.
The situation deteriorated further when a new dispute arose after Hun Sen, Chairman of the Senate, released a private conversation clip between him and Prime Minister Paetongtarn regarding negotiations over opening and closing border checkpoints, causing relations to worsen progressively until the incident where Thai soldiers stepped on landmines occurred.
Officials cordon off the area where a Russian man jumped from a villa roof in Nai Harn Beach area, Rawai subdistrict, Phuket province, on July 19, 2025.
PHUKET/CHIANG MAI — Two tragic incidents involving foreign nationals falling from high places occurred within hours of each other in Thailand, claiming the lives of both men.
The first incident occurred around 4 p.m. on July 19 at a villa in Nai Harn Beach area, Rawai subdistrict, Phuket province. Police from Chalong Station responded to reports and found the body of 36-year-old Russian national Mr. Khushang.
According to witnesses at the scene, the deceased had been intoxicated and agitated, reportedly assaulting other friends present. When the group attempted to restrain him, Khushang ran onto the villa’s roof and jumped to his death.
Forensic doctors from Vachira Phuket Hospital will conduct a detailed autopsy before notifying the Russian embassy to contact the victim’s relatives for body repatriation.
American Falls from Chiang Mai Condo
Earlier, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, July 18, an American man fell from the 10th floor of a luxury condominium in the Chang Khlan area of Chiang Mai. The Phetkasem Chiang Mai Foundation emergency response team discovered his body upon arrival.
His British girlfriend was found nearby in severe distress, sobbing uncontrollably and fainting repeatedly. Emergency responders provided medical assistance and emotional support.
A foreign volunteer from the Phetkasem Chiang Mai Foundation attempts to console a British woman who was in extreme shock after her boyfriend jumped from the 10th floor of a condominium in Chiang Mai, dying on July 18, 2025. (Credit: The Phetkasem Chiang Mai Foundation)
According to Peter, a foreign volunteer with the Phetkasem Chiang Mai Foundation, the couple had been visiting Thailand on holiday and had been together for about a year with plans to marry upon returning home.
The tragedy occurred after an argument that began following an alcohol purchase from a nearby store. The dispute continued when they returned to their room, where the man made the fatal decision to jump.
The situation became even more heartbreaking when the deceased’s mother called. Peter had to deliver the devastating news, describing the mother’s screams of anguish combined with the girlfriend’s cries as “one of the most emotionally shattering moments we’ve ever witnessed.”
The Phetkasem Chiang Mai Foundation extended their deepest condolences to the families affected by both tragedies.
Chinese tourist reports to Pattaya Police Station that he was robbed by a transgender woman on July 19, 2025.
PATTAYA — A series of targeting incidents involving transgender women preying on foreign tourists has raised concerns about visitor safety in the popular beach destination, with three separate cases reported to Pattaya City Police within recent weeks.
The latest incident occurred early Saturday morning when Mr. Zhang, a 36-year-old Chinese tourist, reported being robbed of 20,000 baht (approximately $617) after being lured to his hotel room by a transgender woman he met on Pattaya Beach.
According to the report filed with Pol. Lt. Mana Sakpol Yiam, Deputy Inspector of Pattaya City Police Station, at 1:30 a.m. on July 19, Zhang described how the woman approached him on the beach, engaged him in conversation, and charmed her way into convincing him to return to his hotel room. When Zhang went to shower, the suspect fled with the cash from his belongings.
CCTV footage shows the transgender woman that the Chinese tourist reported to Pattaya Police Station for robbing him on July 19, 2025.
This follows a similar pattern from a June 10 incident where an Indian tourist was targeted in the same manner, though police have yet to apprehend that perpetrator.
In another related case, an American tourist reported to Pattaya City Police at 5:00 a.m. on July 15 with head injuries after being assaulted and robbed by two transgender women. The victim stated he lost 3,000 baht (approximately $93) when the suspects approached him while walking in Pattaya Beach Soi 6/1.
The American tourist described how two “flashily dressed” transgender women offered services and began touching him inappropriately before stealing money from his pants pocket.
American tourist reports to Pattaya Police Station showing his head injury after being robbed and assaulted by transgender women on July 10, 2025.
When he caught them and demanded his money back, one of the women struck him on the head, causing injury. He managed to escape and sought help from good Samaritans who assisted him in filing the police report.
Police investigations into all three cases remain ongoing, with no arrests made to date. The incidents have highlighted growing concerns about tourist safety and the need for increased security measures in Pattaya’s entertainment districts.
Local authorities are advising tourists to remain vigilant and avoid isolated areas, particularly during late night hours when such incidents typically occur.
LONDON (AP) — It started out as a routine bit of fun at a Coldplay concert: Lead singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his “Jumbotron Song,” when he sings a few lines about the people the camera lands on.
At a concert at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Wednesday, a man wearing a birthday sash was up first. Two people in banana costumes were highlighted.
But in between, something else ensued. For several seconds, a couple was shown on the big screen. They were cuddling and smiling, his arms wrapped around her, as she leaned back into him. When they saw themselves on the big screen, her jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera. He ducked out of the frame, as did she.
“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” Martin joked.
But it didn’t end there. The video went viral, and the internet got to work.
Internet sleuths think they know who the people are
The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the couple’s identity.
But internet sleuths allege he is the chief executive officer of a U.S.-based company, while she is the chief people officer — in other words, the head of human resources.
A spokesman for the company did not respond when asked to confirm the identities of the people shown on camera. But he said in an email that a statement circulating online that was attributed to the chief executive was a “fake from a clearly labeled parody account.” The company later released a statement saying it had opened an investigation into the incident, but did not directly identify the employees.
The woman didn’t respond to a request for comment on LinkedIn. The man’s LinkedIn page appeared to be deactivated, and no other way of contacting him could be immediately found. A phone call to a number listed in an online directory under his name went straight to voicemail. Attempts to reach him through other numbers associated with his name in the directory were not successful.
A representative for Coldplay said the band had no comment.
FILE – Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during the band’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour at D. Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)
Most concert venues warn attendees that they can be filmed
It’s easy to miss, but most concert venues have signs informing the audience that they could be filmed during the event. Look for them on the walls when you arrive and around the bar areas or toilets. It’s common practice especially when bands like to use performances for music videos or concert films.
The venue in this case, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, also has a privacy policy online which states: “When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location.”
Once captured, a moment can be shared widely
In the internet age, such videos — or ones taken on someone’s smartphone — can quickly zip around the world.
This video rocketed around social media, as people speculated about why the couple dodged the camera.
Empathy for the pair and their families was mixed with plenty of snarky commentary and countless memes, with the fake statement from the chief executive generating a lot of additional vitriol. And news reports said that the CEO’s LinkedIn account was disabled after it was flooded by a wave of comments.
“It’s a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system,” said Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media. “We are being surveilled by our social media. They’re tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.”
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AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report from New York.
In this photo provided by state news service Agence Kampuchea Press, alleged online scammers stand next to their tools collected by authorities at its site in a classroom on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AKP via AP)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Authorities in Cambodia continued their stepped-up campaign against online scam centers, arresting at least 500 suspects in two provinces on Thursday and Friday, the country’s information minister said.
The arrests in Kandal province on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, and in the northeastern province of Stung Treng, brought to 2,137 the total number detained since June 27, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said in a statement.
Those netted in raids in 43 locations around the country included 429 Vietnamese, 271 Indonesians, 589 Chinese, 57 Koreans, 70 Bangladeshi and 42 Pakistanis, said his statement. Other suspects were from Thailand, Laos, India, Nepal, the Philippines and Myanmar.
The United Nations and other agencies have estimated that cyberscams, most of them originating from Southeast Asia, earn international criminal gangs billions of dollars annually. The cybercriminals pretend friendship or tout phony investment opportunities to cheat their targets around the world.
In this photo provided by state news service Agence Kampuchea Press, alleged online scammers arrested by authorities sit in a classroom on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, July 18, 2025. (AKP via AP)
Neth Pheaktra’s statement said Cambodia’s crackdown is ongoing “and will absolutely continue, with a clear mandate from the top leadership to root out all illegal cybercrime activity — regardless of location or affiliation.”
He said it was strengthened by a directive issued Monday by Prime Minister Hun Manet that threatened state personnel at all levels with transfers or dismissal if they failed to act vigorously against cyberscams.
The latest arrests followed 2,418 others in the first six months of the year involving 18 alleged scam operations in different parts of the country, said a report from the National Police Commissioner cited by Neth Pheaktra.
These resulted in 73 prosecutions and 2,322 foreigners being deported, it said.
“Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organized gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence,” the human rights groups Amnesty International said in a report issued last month.
In this photo provided by state news service Agence Kampuchea Press, police stand in front a villa that served as an alleged cyberscam center on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was raided on Friday, July 18, 2025. (AKP via AP)
It said the findings of its 18-month investigation into cyberscams “suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.” The kingpins of many online scam operations tend to be ethnic Chinese organized crime bosses, who generally operate outside China in areas with weak law enforcement.
A spokesperson for the Cambodian human rights organization Licadho, which is often critical of the government, noted the country’s poor reputation due to cybercrime, and welcomed the crackdown.
“This campaign should have been launched long ago because Cambodia has been criticized by international organizations, the international community, and the United Nations for online fraud in Cambodia, which has affected Cambodia’s image, international tourists, investment, security, order, and social security,” Licadko’s operations director Am Sam Ath, told The Associated Press.
“However, launching this campaign is good to demonstrate the Royal Government’s determination and willingness to prevent and suppress online fraud and trust,” he said, noting that other members of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations had also acted this year to suppress online crime.
Miss Golf - Wilawan Emsawat is escorted from the Central Investigation Bureau to be detained at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Bangkok on July 17, 2025.
BANGKOK — Friday, July 18, appears to be the first day that the wave of monks leaving the monkhood has begun to subside following the sex and financial scandal involving Miss Golf, also known as Seeka Golf, a 35-year-old woman.
Since the news first broke on July 4, a total of 13 monks have disrobed—starting with Phra Khun Aat, the abbot of Wat Tritosathep, a well-known temple in Bangkok—who quietly disrobed at a temple in Nong Khai province in northeastern Thailand.
Police Investigation Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, revealed that the case began with complaints to senior clergy about inappropriate behavior by Phra Khun Aat. Senior monks asked him to disrobe, but he refused, until the matter eventually reached police hands.
Upon investigation, they discovered his relationship with Miss Golf – Ms. Wilawan Emsawat – and proceeded to examine financial flows through her accounts totaling 385 million baht ($12 million) over three years, connecting her to more than 20 other monks. Media outlets have dubbed this case the “Seeka Golf Universe.”
Police arrest Wilawan Emsawat, a woman who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy, at her home in Nonthaburi province on July 15, 2025. (KHAOSOD Photo/Thanee Thaweekeud)
Shockwaves Through the Monastic Community
The story of Miss Golf, one woman who had relationships with multiple monks, has captured public attention for two weeks. The investigation covers police work, the amounts of money each monk transferred to her, and her background – raising questions about how she managed to become intimate with senior monks and accumulate 5,593 compromising files on her phone out of 80,763 total files for blackmail purposes.
This scandal has put pressure on related government agencies, particularly the Office of National Buddhism, raising questions about whether they neglected their duties or helped cover up monastic misconduct.
Special Task Force Established
In response to these criticisms, National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet announced the establishment of a temporary Buddhist Affairs Support Center to receive complaints and investigate misconduct by monks, coordinating with all relevant agencies including police, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, and officials from the Office of National Buddhism, with the Central Investigation Bureau commander as director.
The Supreme Patriarch expressed concern through Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, stating that under Buddhist law, such conduct warrants the ultimate punishment of expulsion from monkhood. For secular matters, he emphasized decisive action regardless of who is involved, including amending laws to increase penalties if necessary.
Media surround Miss Golf Wilawan Emsawat as she enters detention at the Central Investigation Bureau on July 15, 2025.
Miss Golf Faces Financial Charges
Current law under the Sangha Act of 1960 doesn’t cover accomplices to monastic misconduct. Police cannot charge individuals who have sexual relations with monks.
In Miss Golf’s case, she wasn’t prosecuted for sexual relationships with monks but was arrested and issued a detention warrant on July 17 for financial crimes related to money she received from monks – some of which wasn’t their personal funds but temple money. She faces charges including:
Supporting embezzlement by officials responsible for managing property
Supporting official misconduct causing damage to others
Conspiracy to launder money and money laundering
13 Disgraced Monks
As of July 17, 13 monks connected to the Seeka Golf case had disrobed, all from central and lower northern Thailand:
Phra Thepwachirapamok, Abbot of Wat Tritosathep Worawihan, Bangkok
Phra Palat Suraphon, Abbot of Wat Phromkesorn, Phitsanulok
Phra Thepwachirathiraphon, Abbot of Wat Phraphutthachai, Saraburi
Phra Thepwachirathirakun, Assistant Abbot of Wat Paknam Phasicharoen, Bangkok
Phra Maha Bunloet, Monk at Wat Mai Yai Paen, Bangkok
Phra Khru Siriviriyathada, Assistant Abbot of Wat Sothorn Wararam, Chachoengsao
Phra Pariyattithada, Assistant Abbot of Wat Kalyanamitworamahawihan, Bangkok
Phra Theppatcharaphon, Abbot of Wat Chujitthammaratram, Ayutthaya
Phra Thepwatcharasitthimethi, Abbot of Wat Tha Luang, former Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief, Phichit
Phra Theppawaramethi, Assistant Abbot of Wat Prayurawongsawasworawihan, Bangkok
Phra Khru Sri Rattanawichian, Abbot of Wat Tha Bua Thong, Phichit
Phra Maha Thiwakorn Deeprai, Abbot of Wat Yai Chom Prasat, Samut Sakhon
“Provincial Sangha Chief of Samut Sakhon (left) disrobes Phra Maha Thiwakorn Deeprai (right), abbot of Wat Yai Chom Prasat, who had financial ties to Miss Golf in the ongoing monastic scandal, on July 17, 2025.
Miss Golf: “Poverty is Frightening”
Before her arrest, Miss Golf gave an interview to popular host Kanchai Kamnerdploy on the talk show “Hone Krasae” (Hot Topics) on Channel 3 and YouTube. Throughout the conversation, she repeatedly cited poverty as her motivation: “Poverty is frightening,” especially when she has children to support.
She now has three children – the youngest born with a monk. She was also pregnant by two other monks but had abortions.
She emphasized that she wasn’t a predator – none of the monks she had relationships with came from her visiting temples to make merit. She never went to temples for merit-making. All contacts began through social media chats, with many asking to meet her.
Abandoned by Father, Failed Partnerships
Miss Golf, from Phichit province, described herself as an ordinary person whose father left during her teenage years. Her mother did car care work, earning only 80 baht for a full day’s work, which she saw as hard work for little pay.
Moving to Bangkok, she sold clothes at Pantip Plaza and lived with two ordinary men unsuccessfully, including the father of her first child – a DJ who turned out to be married and wouldn’t acknowledge paternity.
Miss Golf gives an interview to popular host Kanchai Kamnerdploy on the talk show “Hone Krasae” (Hot Topics) on Channel 3 and YouTube.
Seeking someone to acknowledge her child led her to ask the abbot of Wat Phromkesorn in Phitsanulok to serve as the child’s father figure, causing people to mistakenly think she had a child with him. This monk has cared for her child, now 13, though he wasn’t the first monk she had relationships with.
First Relationship with Monk
Her first monastic relationship was with the Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief of Phichit, abbot of Wat Tha Luang, from 2013-2014. He contacted her first through social media before calling her to his quarters. Though initially feeling guilty, learning he had relationships with other women reduced her guilt, especially as he provided well financially, even buying her a Mercedes-Benz.
When local residents became suspicious, he told her to keep distance and move to Bangkok. During this time, she had relationships with another academic and a new monk, wanting a better life for her two children. Learning the Phitsanulok ecclesiastical chief also had relationships with other women, she ended it.
Temple Funds Used for Gambling
Subsequently, she connected with other monks through Facebook chats continuing on Line, exchanging compromising photos.
The monk who caused her prosecution without having physical relations was the abbot of Wat Chujit in Ayutthaya, who transferred 12.8 million baht of personal money and 380,000 baht of temple funds, which she used for online gambling. The temple money provided grounds for police prosecution.
Screenshot of Miss Golf’s Line conversation with one of the 13 monks who disrobed for violating monastic rules.
Senior Monks Have Weaknesses and Money
Starting with the Phichit Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief, who enabled Miss Golf’s comfortable lifestyle, she saw opportunities to approach senior monks at famous temples for financial gain. She rented luxury homes for 30,000-40,000 baht monthly and hired luxury cars when visiting temples to appear wealthy.
“Senior monks have weaknesses and money. She targeted this angle to acquire wealth through every possible means of reaching them,” said Pol. Col. Anek Taosuparp, Deputy Commander of the Crime Suppression Division.
Probe Continues Beyond Disrobed Monks
Pol. Lt. Gen. Jaroonkiat stated that police will focus on investigating financial trails beyond just disrobed monks, targeting laypeople or those close to monks involved in corruption, including a former assistant abbot who transported merit money in pickup trucks to Seeka Golf multiple times.
“These matters require continuous action, and we cannot yet determine the full extent,” he concluded.
Indian tourists (left) with police officers regarding a dispute with a Thai woman on Soi Liap Chai Hat Pattaya 11, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung on July 18, 2025.
PATTAYA — Police responded to a complaint from three Indian tourists at a hotel on Soi Liap Chai Hat Pattaya 11 on July 18, involving a payment dispute with a Thai woman about her body shape.
The tourists had contacted police claiming a woman had entered their room and refused to leave. Upon arrival, officers found a Thai woman, aged approximately 35-40, who appeared confused about the police presence.
According to the woman’s account, she had agreed to provide services for 3,000 baht per person and received a 1,000 baht deposit. However, after arriving at the room, the tourists expressed dissatisfaction, claiming her breasts were too small and her body shape did not match their expectations. They requested she leave without full payment.
Indian tourists (left) with police officers regarding a dispute with a Thai woman on Soi Liap Chai Hat Pattaya 11, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung on July 18, 2025.
When she asked for the remaining agreed-upon fee before departing, the men told her they needed to exchange money downstairs and would return, instead bringing back police officers.
The tourists confirmed they had engaged the woman’s services from an entertainment venue but claimed she did not meet their expectations. They stated she refused to leave when asked and demanded payment, prompting them to seek police intervention.
Police mediated between both parties, advising them to negotiate a resolution or face potential legal consequences. The dispute was ultimately resolved with both sides agreeing to return money to each other, and the matter was concluded without further incident.
Authorities inspect a suspicious vehicle in Soi Vibhavadi 4–8, Bangkok, and discover a Chinese man who had entered the country illegally on July 17, 2024.
BANGKOK — A Chinese fugitive wanted for multiple crimes in his home country has been arrested in Bangkok with several fake Thai driver’s licenses in his possession, immigration officials said.
The operation was led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Panumas Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreign criminals residing illegally in Thailand. Officers from Immigration Division 1 acted on intelligence that a wanted Chinese national was hiding in the Soi Vibhavadi 4–8 area to avoid immigration checks.
At around 4:00 p.m. on July 1, police intercepted a grey Nissan Almera with dark-tinted windows and questioned the driver. The man presented a passport that did not match his appearance. A search of the vehicle uncovered multiple falsified documents, including Thai and international driver’s licenses and several fake passports.
Immigration police arrest the Chinese suspect with several fake Thai driver’s licenses in Soi Vibhavadi 4–8, Bangkok, on July 17, 2025.
The suspect was identified as Mr. Wang Ming (alias), a 40-year-old Chinese citizen. He denied owning the documents, but immigration officials filed preliminary charges for illegal entry and stay under the Immigration Act.
Further investigation revealed that Wang is wanted in China for forging national IDs, passports, and driver’s licenses, running illegal gambling operations, and disobeying court orders. He was taken into custody for legal processing, and officials are now working to verify the authenticity of five Thai driver’s licenses found in his possession.
Authorities are also expanding their investigation to uncover potential links to a wider transnational crime network operating in Thailand.
Soldiers are seen celebrating a victory at one of the captured outposts in Nawnghkio, a township that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army controlled for over a year, in northern part of Shan state, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar ‘s military has recaptured a strategic gateway town from rebel forces after nearly a year, state-media reported Thursday, marking a rare turnaround in the country’s northeast, where an alliance of ethnic militias seized a large swath of territory in an offensive that began in late 2023.
Nawnghkio, which sits on a major highway trading route linking central Myanmar to China, had been under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, a group in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, since July last year.
Its recapture by the army comes after a long period where the military government had been seen as being on the defensive against an array of rebel forces in the civil war that is being fought over much of the country.
Nawnghkio, which also stands on the highway leading to the major military garrison town of Pyin Oo Lwin, was completely captured by the army at noon on Wednesday after nearly 11 months of operations to retake the town, according to a state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper report on Thursday.
After more than 500 armed engagements, including 20 major clashes, the bodies of 171 members of the TNLA and its allies were recovered and their ammunition supplies were captured, the report said, adding that the military was working to restore the town’s administrative mechanisms, remove land mines and ensure the safe return of residents who had fled to avoid fighting.
The newspaper also published photos of the soldiers who had recaptured the town in front of the government offices, hospitals, and markets.
In this image released on July 16, 2025 by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, soldiers pose for a photo in front of the captured hospital in Nawnghkio, a township that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army controlled for over a year, in northern part of Shan state, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Restrictions on reporting make independent confirmation of the town’s recapture virtually impossible, though the army’s claim has not been challenged.
However, in a statement posted Wednesday on the Telegram messaging app, the TNLA said it had moved the group’s civil administration and service offices in Nawnghkio to safe locations as the military’s intensive offensive operations in the past few months made it difficult to carry out work.
The groups in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which also include the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army, have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central government and are loosely allied with the People’s Defense Force, the pro-democracy resistance that emerged to fight military rule after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.
Since October 2023, the alliance members captured and controlled significant swaths of territory in in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar. Their victories were seen as forcing the army to go on the defensive over most of the country, while boosting the morale and strategic position of resistance forces.
The recapture of Nawnghkio comes more than two months after the TNLA rejected the military’s demands to withdraw from five towns controlled by the group, including Nawnghkio, during talks brokered by China in the Chinese city of Kunming in late April.
China tries to maintain good relations with both the military government and the groups making up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, but fears that the aggressive posture of the rebel groups destabilizes Myanmar, which is a key Southeast Asian ally of Beijing with large strategic Chinese investments in minerals, energy and infrastructure.
Nawnghkio’s recapture also comes just more than a week after the military claimed to take back the strategic town of Mobye in southern Shan state, which had been seized since late 2023 by another alliance of ethnic armed organizations in the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army’s 2021 takeover, which led to nationwide peaceful protests that escalated into armed resistance and what now amounts to civil war.
Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition’s National Unity Government, which coordinates resistance to army rule, told The Associated Press last Friday that the military regime has been trying to retake areas controlled by the resistance ahead of a general election planned for later this year. The poll is widely seen as an attempt to normalize the military’s seizure of power through the ballot box and to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control.
