PHNOM PENH — The Indian Embassy in Cambodia has warned Indian nationals seeking employment in the country to be vigilant against fraudulent job offers that could lead to human trafficking and involvement in illegal online scam operations.
In an advisory issued by the embassy in Phnom Penh, officials said Indian citizens are being lured to Cambodia with false promises of lucrative employment opportunities before falling into the hands of human traffickers.
According to the advisory, victims are allegedly coerced into participating in online financial scams and other unlawful activities after arriving in Cambodia.
The embassy urged Indian nationals intending to work in Cambodia to use only authorised recruitment agents and to thoroughly verify the background of prospective employers before accepting job offers.
It also cautioned against using tourist visas to seek employment, noting that visitors should not engage in activities that are inconsistent with the purpose for which their visa was issued.
In addition, the embassy advised Indian nationals who do not possess a valid Cambodian visa to leave the country immediately.
The embassy said Indian citizens requiring assistance may contact its consular section in Phnom Penh through official channels.
CKPower Public Company Limited (SET: CKP), one of the region’s largest producers of electricity from renewables with one of the lowest carbon footprints, in collaboration with leading Thai artists from Klangjaturat Art Gallery, organized the “Art Power: The Energy Transition” project, a national art competition aimed at encouraging youth to learn about and express their perspectives on renewable energy and the environment through art. The project reflects the idea that business and art can move in the same direction, and that renewable energy can serve as a meaningful learning opportunity for younger generations to better understand the changes taking place in society, the environment, and modern ways of life.
On this occasion, Mrs. Muntana Auekitkarjorn, Senior Deputy Managing Director – Corporate Planning of CKPower, joined the opening ceremony together with Mr. Samarn Klangjaturat, renowned master artist and founder of Klangjaturat Art Gallery, leading Thai artists, and teachers from various schools, at JJ Mall, Bangkok.
Mr. Thanawat Trivisvavet, Managing Director of CKPower, stated, CKPower continues to drive the ‘Art Power: The Energy Transition’ project under the Company’s CSR Strategy Framework 2022–2026. The project uses art as a medium to help young people better understand renewable energy alongside natural resource conservation. The artworks created by young participants not only reflect creativity but also demonstrate their care for the world and the environment around them.
The project was made possible through collaboration among various sectors, including educational institutions, teachers, schools, artists from Klangjaturat Art Gallery, as well as CKPower employees who helped drive the initiative. This reflects CKPower’s role in connecting business operations with social value creation, while helping inspire the younger generation to take part in the transition toward clean energy, Mr. Thanawat added.
This year, the “Art Power: The Energy Transition” project provided a platform for primary and secondary school students from schools surrounding power plants and schools across Thailand, as well as employees across CKPower Group, to create artworks inspired by renewable energy and the environment. The project engaged a total of 207 participants and was organized in three rounds: 1) an art competition for schools surrounding Pak Thong Chai 1 Solar Power Plant in December 2025; 2) an art competition for schools surrounding Bangpa – in Cogeneration Power Plant in January 2026; and 3) the final nationwide competition for schools across Thailand, with employees across CKPower Group also invited to submit their artworks.
The project builds upon the “Empowering Clean Energy through Thai Art” initiative held in 2024, which focused on enhancing the capabilities of teachers from schools surrounding power plants and schools nationwide, enabling them to integrate renewable energy knowledge with artistic skills for students. Teachers who participated in the program have further applied this knowledge by encouraging their students to take part in the “Art Power: The Energy Transition” project this year.
The initiative reflects the expansion of last year’s teacher capacity-building program into broader engagement among youth, schools, and employees. It also aligns with CKPower’s approach to leveraging renewable energy knowledge and employee participation to continuously create social value.
CKPower aims to build on the ‘Art Power: The Energy Transition’ project as another platform to promote learning about renewable energy and the environment among youths through creative and accessible learning processes. At the same time, the project also provides opportunities for employees to participate in creating social value and supporting the transition toward clean energy in a sustainable way, Mr. Thanawat concluded.
Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun said on Tuesday that Thai diplomacy and its international standing will return to its “rightful place” under Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow after decades of being lost.
“We are not a great power. We’re a small-sized power, middle-sized power. But we have to demonstrate our ability… to know how to balance powers,” the 93-year-old Anand told Sihasak and other guests during a 9 June panel at the Foreign Ministry marking the launch of a new biography of the former prime minister.
Wishing Sihasak well, Anand said he was thankful that Thailand now had a foreign minister “who can show the Thai flags proudly”. Sihasak served as Anand’s speechwriter when Anand first became prime minister following the 1991 coup led by Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon.
He added that for 20 years, Thailand was “erased from the diplomatic scene” due to political divisions, military coups, and more.
“We were nowhere to be seen. We disappeared from the screen. We used to be a country to be reckoned with… Our voices may be small, but I would like to see the resurrection of that.”
Drawing on his experience, the former premier and top diplomat said winning trust is crucial in successful diplomacy. “If the leaders from the other side say ‘you can’t be trusted’ then there are no negotiations.”
Acknowledging that the ministry had experienced a brain drain among its rank-and-file officials over the past two decades, Anand said he hoped the situation would improve.
“For the past 20 years, I was worried about the new recruits at the Foreign Ministry. There were recruits with good educations, but many of them encountered difficulties and decided to leave the ministry. I think we lost quite a few. I don’t profess to know what the situation is now.”
Witthaya Vejjajiva (left), Anand Panyarachun and Nanda Krairiksh at the launch of Anand’s new biography in Bangkok on 9 June 2026.
He advised young officials to “persevere” and learn on the job, regardless of whether they were educated at “Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, or Yale.”
“You have to relearn English because diplomatic language is different,” Anand said, recalling the six formative years he spent as secretary to then-foreign minister Thanat Khoman in the early 1960s. “I learned to write better.”
Sihasak, meanwhile, cut short an official visit to Vietnam to attend the panel, which was moderated by Pana Janviroj, executive director of the Institute for Strategic Policy.
“I had to be here,” said Sihasak, describing Anand as a man whom he “admired very much for all that he stands for.”
Sihasak humbly added that his generation of Thai diplomats cannot compare to that of Anand’s. He recalled how, back in 1991, he was asked by Anand to write a speech for a talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) and how he learned new terms like “good governance”. On another occasion, when Anand was his superior at the ministry, he remembered being told, “Next time, if you haven’t thought something through, don’t bring it to my attention.”
Witthaya Vejjajiva, a retired senior diplomat and author of the biography “Anand the Fearless: A Life of Courage, Character and Conviction” said Anand showed courage by accepting the post of prime minister after the 1991 coup despite having no political connections or interest in politics.
Witthaya said Anand eventually went on to serve as prime minister twice with sincerity, honesty, integrity, and trust.
Anand’s daughter, Nanda Krairiksh, a former director at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said her late mother, M.R. Sodsri Panyarachun, was instrumental in her father’s success. She said her mother had endured loneliness while raising the family largely on her own in Ottawa, as Anand was serving concurrently in New York as Thailand’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
Nanda said her father could be “very direct, very blunt too”, as well as “strong and inflexible at times”. By contrast, her mother was soft-spoken and “didn’t really like conflict”.
“My mother was instrumental in much of my father’s success.”
To this, Anand acquiesced right after his daughter had spoken.
“No matter how successful I may have been or seem to be, there’s always a woman behind a successful man… When I get onto a job, I’m totally absorbed. The first one to suffer would be my wife. I think she suffered silently… but not for the lack of love from her husband. I have to thank her for that. She’s behind my every success in my career… If I had listened to her, I would be a wise man, but it’s too late for me now.”
No discussion of Anand, a former diplomat, would have been complete without a turn to foreign affairs. Anand acknowledged that he no longer followed world events as closely as he once had, but he offered a stark assessment of Donald Trump’s second presidency and its impact on the world.
“The consequence is disastrous. I am really concerned about how long Donald Trump will stay in power… to destroy the world order, to destroy everything built since the end of the Second World War.”
The panel marked the launch of “Anand the Fearless: A Life of Courage, Character and Conviction”, a biography by retired diplomat Witthaya Vejjajiva translated from the original Thai-language edition. Chronicling Anand’s decades in diplomacy and public service, the book revisits many of the themes he spoke about during the discussion — integrity, public duty and Thailand’s place in the world. It is the second English-language biography of Anand, following Dominic Faulder’s “Anand Panyarachun and the Making of Modern Thailand”, published in 2018.
BANGKOK — 11 June 2026, A group of victims of an alleged concert ticket booking service scam involving the K-pop group BTS on the X platform has submitted a formal complaint to Thailand’s House Consumer Protection Committee, saying there are at least 120 verified victims, with initial financial damages estimated more than 1.23 million baht after transferring ticket costs and service fees upfront to an online ticket-booking service that later deleted their accounts and disappeared.
At 10:00 on Thursday, at the Thai Parliament, Kanphong Prayoonsak, an MP from the People’s Party, along with his team, received a complaint from Rin, a representative of the victims. The case involves a fraudulent scheme where victims were deceived into hiring a ticket-booking service for the BTS concert through an X account operating under the username “sumsum”.
Rin revealed that she had hired a ticket-purchasing service operating the X platform. Before deciding to use the service, she had inquired thoroughly about the booking details. The account required an upfront transfer covering deposits, service fees and part of the ticket cost in advance. She then completed all requested transfers by the shop on Sunday.
However, on the day when tickets went on sale, the shop closes its X account and became no longer be contacted. After realising she had been scammed, she began posting on X to search for other victims. This led them to establish a Line Open Chat group to verify information and gather evidence, through which they discovered a large number of fellow victims.
Data collected through a registration form identified at least 120 victims linked to the same recipient bank account, with preliminary losses exceeding 1.23 million baht. The total is expected to rise as additional victims continue to submit additional documents and evidence.
Through their own investigation of the evidence and financial tracking, the victims discovered that the funds had allegedly been transferred through multiple intermediary accounts. Meanwhile, victims have been progressively filing police reports both online reporting system and at local police stations.
They hope this case serves as a stern warning to consumers regarding the risks of using third-party ticket-booking services. By speaking to the media, the group is not intended only looking to pursue legal action but also aims to raise awareness and caution the public against falling victim to online ticket-booking scams in the future.
Kanphong, also known as Ajarn Ait, who also serves as deputy chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee, said scams of this nature stemmed from what he called as three dilemmas: attempting to secure tickets independently in a highly competitive system which is becoming difficult, relying on third parties to make purchases which introduces fraud risks, and ultimately suffering financial losses and disappointment from missing out on the concert entirely.
He said the he would bring this issue to the consideration of the Consumer Protection Committee and propose three solution measures to be pushed forward for committee attention:
• Limiting the number of tickets each person can purchase to reduce bulk buying and the use of automated bots;
• Requiring clear buyer identification through Digital ID or know-your-customer (KYC) identity verification systems;
• Managing ticket-purchasing bot programs and system loopholes that enable unfair access to the ticket booking process.
“We must make it easier and safer for consumers to buy tickets while reducing channels for fraudsters,” Kanphong said.
Furthermore, he pointed out that similar issues affect not only concert tickets but also airline tickets, train tickets, and other reservation systems where consumer fairness must be protected as well.
Karunphon Thiansuwan, a People’s Party list-MP representing the parliamentary committee on communications, telecommunications and the digital economy, stated that the concert ticket problems extend beyond online scams to include difficult booking processes, inflated resale prices and “ghost tickets” arising from opaque systems.
Consequently, the House Committee planned discussions with various ticketing providers on introducing a buyer identity verification system measure. They may also look into the number of tickets allowed per person limits and implement safeguards against automated software used for bulk ticket buying.
However, Karunphon admitted that any measures introduced must also take account of international visitors and overseas fans. Many international concerts often depend on foreign attendees, and overly restrictive rules could encourage organisers to relocate their events to other countries such as Singapore or Malaysia.
Regarding this concert ticket-booking scam, the group of victims has already reported the case through Thailand’s online crime reporting centre and are working with relevant authorities to trace the movement of funds. They expressed hope that the suspects could be apprehended and losses recovered in the future.
It is highly possible that the victims in this case may have a stronger chance of recovering their money because investigators have access to recipient account details and can track the transaction trails. This stands in contrast to call-centre scams or fraudulent investment schemes, where funds are frequently transferred overseas or converted into digital assets.
Nevertheless, the critical next steps still rely on the police investigation to track down those responsible and expand inquiries into any network of mule accounts linked to the transactions.
UDON THANI — 11 June 2025, Police are searching for a foreign couple suspected of abandoning a newborn girl who was later found unresponsive beneath a tree in Udon Thani, after the pair were spotted at a coffee shop in Nong Khai and are believed to still be in the country.
The infant, wrapped in a pink towel and covered with a blue cloth, was left under a rain tree in Soi Chan Charoen Suk, Don Udom community, within the Udon Thani municipal area at around 09:20 on 10 June. She was found more than eight hours later by three boys aged 10–12 who were fishing at a nearby drainage canal. Emergency responders performed CPR and rushed her to Udon Thani Regional Hospital, but she could not be revived.
CCTV footage reviewed by investigators showed a tall, white foreign man with brown hair and a dark-skinned woman carrying the bundle walking toward the soi. The pair stopped briefly in front of a house along the canal, appeared to speak for about three minutes, then left the infant under the tree before walking away via Soi Don Udom toward Amphoe Road without retracing their steps.
Pol. Col. Patthanawong Chanphon, superintendent of Mueang Udon Thani Police Station, said officers searched hotels, resorts and guesthouses within a one-kilometre radius but found no record of a couple checking in with an infant. One nearby hotel reported that a foreign man had inquired about a room on the evening of 8 June but declined after being told the rate was 1,400 baht.
Nong Khai police subsequently contacted investigators to report that the couple had been seen at a well-known coffee shop in the province — the man identified as a 39-year-old European and the woman as a 29-year-old American, carrying a female infant estimated to be around two weeks old.
Investigators have coordinated with Nong Khai immigration police to determine whether the pair have left Thailand. Records show no departure recorded at the Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Mueang Nong Khai. Crossings via informal routes have not yet been verified. Police believe the couple remain in Thailand and are continuing efforts to locate them for legal proceedings.
BANGKOK — Princess Anne, the Princess Royal of the United Kingdom, will visit Thailand from 16–17 July as part of a regional trip that also includes South Korea.
The Princess Royal will travel with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, for a series of engagements in Seoul and Bangkok between 13 and 17 July.
During her two-day visit to Thailand, Princess Anne is scheduled to visit a school supported by Save the Children Thailand. She will also meet Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, hold audiences with the King and Queen of Thailand, and pay her respects to the late Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.
Additional engagements will include meetings with female scientists, attendance at a regional health security showcase, and events highlighting cultural cooperation between the United Kingdom and Thailand.
British Ambassador to Thailand Mark Gooding said the visit underscores the close relationship between the two countries.
“The Princess Royal’s fourth visit to Thailand reflects the enduring warmth between our two countries and the important role our royal families continue to play in strengthening the UK-Thailand partnership,” he said.
The upcoming trip follows Princess Anne’s previous visits to Thailand in 1972, 1979 and 1987.
Princess Anne is the second child and only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the sister of King Charles III. One of the most active members of the British royal family, she has undertaken more than 20,000 official engagements since beginning royal duties in 1968. She serves as patron or honorary president of more than 300 organisations, with much of her charitable work focused on sport, science, disability and health in developing countries.
BANGKOK — 11 June 2026, Thailand’s digital economy minister Chaiyanok Chidchob acknowledged that he personally knows the winner of a controversial government AI project tender but denied any involvement in the procurement process, amid questions over the transparency of the 1.62 billion baht ($49 million) scheme.
The comments came during the TH-AI Passport Forum, organised by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society on 11 June 2026 to gather public feedback and discussion on the TH-AI Passport project.
During a question-and-answer session, Teerachart Kotrakul, a party-list lawmaker from the opposition People’s Party and adviser to a parliamentary budget oversight committee, raised concerns about several aspects of the project.
Among the issues highlighted were requirements for advertising displays in convenience stores, which he said had not been adequately explained, and tender conditions that appeared similar to those used in another government-backed project overseen by a minister from the Bhumjaithai Party.
Teerachart also questioned whether senior officials had personal ties to the company that won the contract.
“The question I would like a clear answer to is whether either of you personally knows the company that won the project,” he said.
He further argued that allowing a company used as a source of pricing information for the project’s reference cost to participate in the bidding process could raise concerns about fairness.
Teerachart also questioned the value of spending 1.621 billion baht on the project when free artificial intelligence services such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are already widely available.
He asked how the government’s proposed system differed from existing free services and whether the expenditure represented value for money.
The lawmaker also pointed to what he described as an unusually tight implementation schedule. Under the contract, registration must open within 30 days of signing and services must be operational within 90 days.
“It is difficult to imagine how a private company that had no prior knowledge of the project could complete a 1.621 billion baht project within 30 days,” he said.
The Minister responded that procurement procedures were handled by career civil servants rather than political officeholders.
“If you ask whether I know the person personally, yes, I do,” he said.
“I know many people in this country. Having worked extensively in the private sector, it would be impossible to say that I do not know anyone who wins a government contract. But I can confirm that I was not involved in the procurement process.”
Pressed on the nature of the relationship, Chaiyanok reiterated: “I have already answered clearly that I know them.”
Addressing concerns that the winning bidder had proposed capabilities exceeding the minimum requirements outlined in the terms of reference (TOR), the minister argued that offering more advanced features should not be viewed as a disadvantage to the state.
“If the contractor reports that what they are providing exceeds the TOR requirements in several respects, are you saying that is a bad thing and puts the state and the public at a disadvantage?” he asked.
He added that any additional capabilities promised by the contractor would become binding obligations under the agreement and that failure to deliver could result in contractual penalties.
BANGKOK — The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced two men to death for their roles in the 2015 bombing at the Erawan Shrine at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection, one of Thailand’s deadliest terror attacks.
The court found Adem Karadag and Mieraili Yusufu guilty of jointly carrying out the bombing that struck the shrine on 17 August 2015, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100 others.
The victims included 14 foreign nationals and six Thais.
In addition to the death sentences, the court imposed a fine of 1,000 baht on each defendant for carrying weapons in a public place.
The verdict comes nearly 11 years after the attack, following lengthy court proceedings involving testimony from more than 400 prosecution witnesses and 45 defence witnesses. The case file reportedly exceeded 10,000 pages.
The explosion occurred at about 18:55 on 17 August 2015 at the popular Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok. Investigators later determined that the device was a TNT-based improvised explosive concealed inside a backpack and placed beneath a bench within the shrine compound.
Prosecutors said Karadag was responsible for placing the backpack containing the bomb at the scene, while Yusufu assembled the device, procured components and delivered the explosive to Karadag.
The bombing shocked Thailand and the international community, as the shrine is a major tourist attraction frequented by both local worshippers and foreign visitors.
The World Cup trophy is shown during the opening ceremony of the International Broadcast Center Monday, June 1, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
BANGKOK — Thai football fans will be able to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 through official channels after Jasmine International Public Company Limited (JAS) announced it has secured the tournament’s broadcasting rights in Thailand.
In a statement posted on 10 June, JAS Group said it had officially acquired the rights to broadcast the World Cup, promising coverage of every match from 11 June to 19 July.
“The wait is over for Thai football fans,” the company said, adding that viewers in Thailand will be able to follow the world’s biggest football tournament and support their favourite teams throughout the competition.
JAS has also invited media representatives to a press conference on 11 June, where it is expected to formally announce details of the deal. According to the invitation, JAS is the exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holder in Thailand.
The agreement was reached just hours before the tournament’s opening match, ending months of uncertainty over whether Thai audiences would have access to official broadcasts.
The World Cup kicks off with a Group A match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium, scheduled to begin at 02:00 Thailand time on Friday, 12 June. The opening match will be preceded by a star-studded ceremony featuring Shakira and Burna Boy, alongside performances by Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.
BANGKOK — Award-winning Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been made a Knight of the Legion of Honour, the highest distinction of the French Republic, in recognition of his contribution to cinema and cultural exchange.
French Ambassador to Thailand Jean-Claude Poimboeuf presented the insignia to Apichatpong during a ceremony at the French Residence on 10 June.
Apichatpong, born in 1970, graduated from Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Architecture before earning a Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He began making films and videos in the early 1990s and emerged as one of Thailand’s most prominent independent filmmakers.
Known for his distinctive storytelling style, Apichatpong often draws inspiration from provincial life, folklore and popular culture. His films frequently feature non-professional actors and blend reality, memory and imagination.
He made history in 2010 as the first Thai director and the first filmmaker from Southeast Asia to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. In 2021, he received the Jury Prize at Cannes for Memoria.
The French Embassy described Apichatpong as a major figure in contemporary auteur cinema whose work has left a lasting mark on the global cultural landscape. Beyond his films, he has also played an important role in supporting younger generations of Thai artists and filmmakers.
France said the honour recognises an artist whose work has transcended national borders and helped strengthen cultural ties and dialogue between France and Thailand over several
