TK Park, in collaboration with the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Thailand, organizes the activity "Read Iran : More Than Just Books
BANGKOK — TK Park will host a nine-day cultural celebration showcasing Iranian arts, literature, and cinema to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Iran.
The “Read Iran: More Than Just Books; It’s Life” event, organized in partnership with the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Thailand, runs from June 7-15, 2025, at TK Park in CentralWorld.
The festival aims to offer visitors fresh perspectives on Iran and Persian culture beyond common perceptions through interactive activities, film screenings, and hands-on workshops.
Film Festival Features Four Iranian Movies
The cultural program kicks off with a film festival on June 7-8, featuring four carefully selected Iranian films shown twice daily at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. The diverse lineup includes the family animation “Dolphin Boys,” drama “Twenty One Days Later,” romantic comedy “Goodbye Shirazi Girl,” and family drama “In the Arms of the Tree.”
Traditional Art Workshop with Master Artist
Visitors can participate in an exclusive Persian pattern painting workshop on June 7-8 from 1:00-4:00 PM, limited to 10 participants per day. Master artist Arash Ghaheroiyian, whose works have been exhibited in international museums, will teach traditional watercolor techniques using Persian ink mixed with 24-karat gold and honey – methods rooted in classical Persian art.
Cultural Walking Tour and Food Experience
The program includes a “Following the Rose” walking tour on June 14, exploring Bangkok’s Persian community and its historical connections. The festival concludes on June 15 with “Persian Taste,” offering visitors traditional Persian tea and desserts accompanied by stories about Iranian food culture.
Exhibition Showcases Rare Books and Contemporary Art
Throughout the nine-day event, an exhibition will display Iranian books and artworks, including rare publications and contemporary pieces that illustrate modern Iranian life in formats accessible to all visitors.
The organizers describe “Read Iran” as an initiative designed to foster deeper cultural understanding in today’s diverse world through storytelling, literature, and lifestyle experiences.
The event takes place at TK Park, 8th Floor, CentralWorld, Bangkok. Additional information is available at www.tkpark.or.th.
Bangkok Open House highlights 55 degree programmes and international learning opportunities..
The University of Hong Kong (HKU), ranked 17th globally, held its Open House 2025 at the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, drawing strong interest from Thai students, parents, and educators eager to explore one of Asia’s most distinguished universities.
The event featured keynote sessions and interactive engagements with HKU’s academic representatives. Attendees were welcomed by Professor Bennett Yim, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and International Student Exchange, and Professor Cecilia Chan from the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, who introduced HKU’s forward-looking approach to higher education—highlighting innovations in AI literacy and interdisciplinary teaching.
HKU’s Business School, renowned across Asia, was also presented. Attendees received personalised consultations with the Admissions Team, joined open Q&A with academic staff from various faculties, and heard firsthand from current undergraduates about life at HKU—both academically and socially.
“It was inspiring to learn directly from students who are already studying there,” said a Thai student currently in Mathayom 6, with plans to pursue engineering. “They shared what it’s really like to live in Hong Kong and how the university helps them adjust to international life.”
55 Programmes Across 10 Faculties and 3 Specialised Schools
Professor Yim emphasised that HKU now offers 55 undergraduate programmes, with over 100 elective modules allowing students to tailor their studies to fit personal goals and future careers.
HKU’s ten faculties are:
Faculty of Architecture
Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Business and Economics
Students may also pursue studies in specialised schools in Innovation, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering, designed to meet global demands and develop professional excellence.
A Global, Supportive Learning Environment
Ms Esther Kwok, Director of Admissions, noted that HKU welcomes students from over 90 countries, fostering a truly international and inclusive academic community. The university offers high-calibre teaching, modern infrastructure, and a dynamic student life—creating an environment where students thrive.
“As a parent, I was reassured to see how much effort HKU puts into supporting international students,” said a Bangkok-based parent who attended the Open House with their daughter. “It’s not just about the rankings—it’s about the people, the atmosphere, and how the university makes you feel confident your child will be in good hands.”
Partnerships with Thai Schools and Targeted Initiatives
HKU continues to engage with Thai schools across various sectors—including public, private, and international institutions—through programmes such as:
Counsellor Fly-In Programme A fully sponsored visit for Thai school counsellors to experience HKU’s academic culture and student life on campus.
HKU Academy for the Talented A pre-university initiative for high-potential students in Years 10–12 (Mathayom 4–6), offering access to workshops, seminars, and academic resources both online and in person.
Principal Nomination Scholarships
Partner schools—including Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, Triam Udom Suksa School, Princess Chulabhorn Science High School Pathum Thani, and Kamnoetvidya Science Academy—are invited to nominate top-performing students for special scholarship consideration.
Scholarships for Thai Students Each year, HKU provides approximately 10 to 15 merit-based scholarships to Thai students across all educational backgrounds. The scholarships cover tuition fees of around THB 900,000 per academic year, although accommodation and living expenses remain the responsibility of students and families.
“Knowing that scholarships are available makes studying abroad feel more within reach,” added a prospective applicant interested in biomedical sciences. “It gave me real hope that I could be part of something bigger.”
For further information on programmes, applications, and scholarships, visit: https://www.hku.hk
ASEAN Foreign Ministers attend the opening ceremony of the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, May 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Southeast Asian nations must accelerate regional economic integration, diversify their markets and stay united to tackle the fallout from global trade disruptions resulting from sweeping U.S. tariffs, Malaysia’s foreign minister said Sunday.
Mohamad Hasan, at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also reiterated the bloc’s call for an end to Myanmar’s civil war and downplayed plans of Myanmar’s ruling military to hold elections later this year as a “whitewash.”
“ASEAN nations are among those most heavily affected by the U.S.-imposed tariffs. The U.S.–China trade war is dramatically disrupting production and trade patterns worldwide. A global economic slowdown is likely to happen,” Mohamad said. “We must seize this moment to deepen regional economic integration, so that we can better shield our region from external shocks.”
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan delivers an opening speech at the opening ceremony of the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, May 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
ASEAN countries, many of which rely on exports to the U.S., are reeling from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration ranging from 10% to 49%. Six of the bloc’s 10 members are among the worst-hit, likely affecting ASEAN’s targeted growth forecast of 4.7% this year, trade officials said.
When Trump last month announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs, countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam swiftly began trade negotiations with Washington.
Mohamad said that Malaysia, ASEAN’s current chair, has requested a special summit with the U.S. as a bloc to discuss tariffs and is hopeful it could happen later this year. He said ASEAN is also exploring making Ukraine its dialogue partner while accelerating the process of admitting East Timor as its 11th member.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers line up for a photo call at the start of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting opening ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
ASEAN leaders meet Monday in an annual summit that will be followed by a joint meeting Tuesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
ASEAN’s unity is crucial as the region grapples with climate change and disruption from the malevolent use of artificial intelligence and other unregulated technologies, Mohamad said, adding that the bloc will be tested by external pressure, including a superpower rivalry.
Mohamad said the conflict in Myanmar, where the military seized power in 2021, had spilled over its borders with a growing number of refugees fleeing to neighboring nations and rising transborder and cybercrimes, making it now “an ASEAN issue.” He said ASEAN does not prefer any foreign intervention as the bloc should resolve its own internal affairs.
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, left, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, and Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, talk before a group photo at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting opening ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, May 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Myanmar’s military leaders are barred from ASEAN meetings after refusing to comply with the bloc’s peace plan, which includes negotiations and delivery of humanitarian aid.
Mohamad said the March earthquake that left more than 3,700 dead had opened up opportunity for ASEAN to reach out to warring parties with the aim of creating a dialogue toward peace.
Mohamad said the bloc plans to appoint a permanent envoy to Myanmar with a three-year term to bolster the process, and that he would visit Myanmar in June. Currently an envoy is appointed each year from the country holding the bloc’s rotating chair.
Mohamad said that violence must cease before any elections in Myanmar, which he said would be futile if there was just partial participation. Opposition parties are mostly either banned from contesting or are boycotting elections. It is also unclear how the polls can be carried out as the military has reportedly lost control of a large part of Myanmar.
“What is the point if it’s just a whitewash to cover up in the eyes of the international community?” Mohamad said.
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and Deputy PM/Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, also Bhumjaithai Party leader, play golf together at Stone Hill Golf Club, Pathum Thani Province, December 22, 2024.
This week’s ruling on May 22 by the Supreme Administrative Court against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, ordering the former premier (who is a fugitive) to pay 10 billion baht in damage compensation incurred by her rice-pledging scheme, was a clear reminder that her elder brother, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who is widely regarded as the real PM today, is not in full control of Thailand.
By Saturday, two days after the ruling, Thaksin’s aide Jakraphon Penkair had to attempt to quell a rumour by saying Thaksin did not flee abroad and is still in Thailand. Jakraphob said the rumor that Thaksin had fled to Cambodia after an unfavorable ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court against Yingluck was just that – a rumour.
Jakraphob wrote on FB that Thaksin is still “laughing in Bangkok,” adding that when Thaksin is very active, people criticise him for overdoing it, but now that he is “quiet,” people imagine things, particularly those in the opposition camp.
The rumor came amidst a probe into whether Thaksin was given privileged treatment during his stay while serving his corruption-related crimes at the Police General Hospital. Three medical doctors were found to have distorted their examinations of Thaksin’s health status, which enabled Thaksin to be transferred from prison to the hospital after serving less than a full night in prison. The worst-case scenario for Thaksin is that he may be ordered by the court to return to serve his time in a proper prison, thus the rumor that he had fled the kingdom.
“It’s hard to placate them,” Jakraphob wrote, adding that Thaksin has an important lunch appointment at a major hotel in Bangkok on May 30.
Meanwhile, on Friday, a prominent Finland-based lese-majeste fugitive, Janya Yimprasert, reposted his open letter to Thaksin, which was originally penned in February 22, 2022, calling Thaksin to stand with those who want to see the monarchy institution reformed.
In another related development, prominent royalist law expert Assoc Prof Jade Donavanik declared earlier this week that he has lost faith in the democratic system after seeing Paetongtarn Shinawatra running, or ruining, the country, and calls for the overthrow of the democratic system – a thinly veiled call for a military coup.
It also comes at a time when the Pheu Thai Party is in conflict with its royalist coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai Party. The latter is widely believed to be in control of the majority of the Senate, which are now facing a probe by the Election Commission over alleged widespread rigging of last year’s senatorial election.
These are reminders that although the Pheu Thai Party has been in power for nearly two years now, the marriage of convenience between the Thaksin camp and the royalist camp is fragile, and that given the right conditions, the latter is more than willing to betray the former (or vice versa).
The Pheu Thai Party was originally chosen to join the Conservative royalist camp (which includes the military and diehard ultraroyalists) because the more progressive monarchy-reform movement supported the then Move Forward Party (now known as the People’s Party) and won most MP seats in the general election. In the end, Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party outmaneuvered the Move Forward Party and its leader Pita Limjaroenrat and managed to form a coalition with conservative royalist parties, including Bhumjaithai.
The popularity of the opposition People’s Party appears to be decreasing, however, judging from its lacklustre performance in local elections over the past year and less charismatic new party leader, Nattapong Ruangpanyawut.
This means we can expect more tension between the Thaksin-Pheu Thai camp and the conservative royalist camp, particularly since the latter has never trusted Thaksin or thought he was a genuine royalist to begin with.
The political “honeymoon” between the two camps is over, if there was any.
Director Jafar Panahi, winner of the Palme d'Or for the film 'It Was Just an Accident', poses for photographers at the awards ceremony photo call at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his revenge thriller “It Was Just an Accident,” handing the festival’s top prize to a director who had been banned from leaving Iran for more than 15 years.
Cate Blanchett presented the award to Panahi, who three years ago was imprisoned in Iran before going on a hunger strike. For a decade and a half, he has made films clandestinely in his native country, including one film (“This Is Not a Film”) made in his living room, and another (“Taxi”) set in a car.
The crowd rose in a thunderous standing ovation for the filmmaker, who immediately threw up his arms and leaned back in his seat in disbelief before applauding his collaborators and the audience around him. On stage, Panahi was cheered by Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche, who in 2010 in Cannes held up Panahi’s name to honor the director when he was under house arrest.
Director Jafar Panahi, centre, accepts the Palme d’Or for the film ‘It Was Just an Accident’, as he poses with Cate Blanchett, left, and jury president Juliette Binoche during the awards ceremony of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
On stage, Panahi said what mattered most was freedom in his country.
“Let us join forces,” said Panahi. “No one should dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should do or what we should not do. The cinema is a society. Nobody is entitled to tell what we should or refrain from doing.”
The win for “It Was Just an Accident” extended an unprecedented streak: The indie distributor Neon has now backed the last six Palme d’Or winners. The latest triumph for Neon, which acquired “It Was Just an Accident” for North American distribution after its premiere in Cannes, follows its Palmes for “Parasite,” “Titane,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Anora.”
All those films were Oscar contenders and two, “Parasite” and “Anora,” won best picture.
Last year, filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran to attend the premiere of his film in Cannes and resettle in Germany. Panahi, though, has said that unlike his friend Rasoulof, life in exile isn’t for him. He planned to fly home to Tehran on Sunday.
“It Was Just an Accident” was inspired by Panahi’s experience in prison. In the film, a group of former prisoners encounter the man who terrorized them in jail, and weigh whether or not to kill him.
In 2009, he was banned from traveling out of Iran after attending the funeral of a student killed in the Green Movement protests. Through those years, Panahi continued to make films illegally in Iran, without a permit, and had his films smuggled to festivals on USB drives. His travel ban was lifted after his release in 2023.
“The film springs from a feeling of resistance, survival, which is absolutely necessary today,” Binoche told reporters after the ceremony. “Art will always win. What is human will always win.”
Ebrahim Azizi, from left, Mariam Afshari, Majid Panahi, director Jafar Panahi, Delnaz Najafi, Hadis Pakbaten, and Vahid Mobseri pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘It was just an accident’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)
The Cannes closing ceremony followed a major power outage that struck southeastern France on Saturday in what police suspected was arson. Only a few hours before stars began streaming down the red carpet, power was restored in Cannes.
“A day without electricity,” sighed John C. Reilly, who sang an English-language “La Vie En Rose” at the ceremony. The festival’s films, he said, supplied “all the needed electricity.”
Other winners at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
The Grand Prix, or second prize, was awarded to Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” his lauded follow-up to “The Worst Person in the World.” Some had expected “Sentimental Value” to win the Palme, but Trier — whose film reunites him with actor Renate Reinsve — still took a major prize.
“We live in a time of tremendous excess and saturation of images. Moving images are being thrown at us all the time,” said Trier. “And I want to give homage to the Cannes Film Festival for being a place where the big cinematic image, which is the foundation of the moving image, the free image, the image that we take time to look at, the image where we can identify with each other in contemplation and empathy, to be cherished in this place in such a way is very important in this moment.”
Director Joachim Trier, centre, winner of the grand prix for the film ‘Sentimental Value’, poses with Elle Fanning, from left, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgard at the awards ceremony photo call at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazilian political thriller “The Secret Agent” won two big awards: best director for Filho and best actor for Wagner Moura. Though Cannes juries are generally urged to spread awards around, the two for “The Secret Agent” showed the jury’s strong feelings for it. Asked about the two prizes, juror Jeremy Strong explained, simply, “That was our wish.”
The wins, which followed the international film Oscar victory for Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” in March, gave Brazil more to celebrate. On X, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the awards “show that our country’s cinema is second to none.”
The jury prize was split between two films: Óliver Laxe’s desert road trip “Sirât ” and Mascha Schilinski’s German, generation-spanning drama “Sound of Falling.” Best actress went to Nadia Melliti for “The Little Sister,” Hafsia Herzi’s French coming-of-age drama.
The Belgian brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, who are two-time Palme d’Or winners, won best screenplay for their latest drama, “Young Mothers.” Its their ninth prize in Cannes. The festival’s award for best first film, the Camera d’Or, went to Hasan Hadi for “The President’s Cake,” making it the first Iraqi film to win an award at the festival.
Nadia Melliti, winner of the award for best actress for the film ‘The Little Sister’, poses for photographers at the awards ceremony photo call at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
What else shaped Cannes this year
Saturday’s ceremony brought to a close a 78th Cannes Film Festival where geopolitics cast a long shadow, both on screen and off. Shortly before the French Riviera extravaganza, which is also the world’s largest movie market, U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of a 100% tariff on movies made overseas.
Most filmmakers responded with a shrug, calling the plan illogical. “Can you hold up the movie in customs? It doesn’t ship that way,” said Wes Anderson, who premiered his latest, “The Phoenician Scheme” at the festival. At the opening ceremony, honorary Palme d’Or recipient Robert De Niro called Trump “America’s philistine president.”
Director Kleber Mendonca Filho poses with his award for best director for the film ‘The Secret Agent’ as well as the best actor award received on behalf of Wagner Moura at the awards ceremony photo call at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Panahi’s win put him in rare company. He’s now won Cannes’ Palme d’Or, Venice’s Golden Lion (for “The Circle”) and Berlin’s Golden Bear (for “Taxi”). Only three other filmmakers have done that: Henri-Georges Clouzot, Michelangelo Antonioni and Robert Altman.
Addressing reporters after his win, Panahi spoke about filmmakers and artists always being able to find a way, “even in complicated situations.”
“They must realize that no powers that be can halt such people in their tracks,” said Panahi. “You have this power.”
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Jake Coyle has covered the Cannes Film Festival since 2012. He’s seen approximately 40 films at this year’s festival and is reporting on what stands out.
Immigration police from Region 6 Surat Thani and Crime Suppression Division officers jointly arrest two British men in separate cases on Koh Samui on May 24, 2025.
KOH SAMUI — Immigration police from Region 6 Surat Thani and Crime Suppression Division officers jointly arrested two British men in separate cases on Saturday.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Songhprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Region 6, led officers in arresting Mr. Kieren Thornton, 38, at a pier in Moo 4, Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province. He was wanted as a transnational criminal for armed robbery charges.
Officers tracked Thornton to his residence on Koh Samui, where he had been living with his Ukrainian girlfriend. After obtaining a search warrant from Koh Samui Provincial Court on May 19, 2025, the arrest team moved in but found the couple had fled on motorcycle. They were subsequently apprehended at a local pier.
Surat Thani Immigration police question Mr. Kieren Thornton who is wanted as a transnational criminal at the Immigration Bureau in Surat Thani Province on May 24, 2025.
Throughout questioning, Thornton maintained his innocence, denying all allegations against him. Thai authorities have now coordinated with the Foreign Affairs Prosecutor’s Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to proceed with transnational criminal extradition.
In the second case, Immigration investigators from Surat Thani Province arrested Mr. Ben Ashton, 37, who had been permitted to stay in the Kingdom as a tourist. It was later discovered that he had been posing as a major businessman in the Chaweng Beach tourist area of Koh Samui.
Investigation and verification with the NCA revealed that he had previously been charged with fraud and sentenced to prison by a British court, but had fled to reside in Thailand while secretly operating businesses with his family.
Immigration police officers arrest Mr. Ben Ashton, a British fugitive, at his residence on Koh Samui on May 24, 2025.
Following Ashton’s arrest, the Immigration Region 6 Commander revoked his permission to stay in the Kingdom, as he is an individual who has committed offenses and been found guilty by a foreign court. Since British authorities want him returned to serve his sentence, he is considered a prohibited person banned from entering the Kingdom and will be extradited back to the UK to serve his sentence.
Officers also discovered that Ashton’s business group and family likely operated businesses through nominee or proxy companies, which constitutes illegal activity. Authorities have gathered evidence to request search warrants from Koh Samui Provincial Court and conducted searches of seven companies, with investigations ongoing. If violations are found, legal action will be taken strictly according to all applicable laws.
Thai police apprehend Miss Ngo, a 30-year-old Vietnamese national who is wanted under an Interpol red notice, at her hotel room in Bangkok's Watthana District on May 24, 2025.
BANGKOK — Thai police, in cooperation with Vietnamese authorities, have arrested a Vietnamese woman allegedly behind a $300 million USD forex stock fraud scheme, along with two male accomplices of the same nationality, at a hotel in central Bangkok on Saturday.
The arrest was led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Witthaya Sriprasertpap, Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, who apprehended Miss Ngo, 30, Mr. Ta, 38, and Mr. Trong, 41, all Vietnamese nationals, at their hotel room in Khlong Tan Nuea Subdistrict, Watthana District.
Miss Ngo has been wanted under an Interpol red notice since December 10, 2024, on charges of misprision, while Mr. Ta and Mr. Trong were arrested for being foreign nationals who entered and remained in the Kingdom after their permits had expired.
Vietnamese authorities had previously contacted Thai officials requesting assistance in investigating and tracking down members of an investment trading scam network, which was part of a major criminal organization that defrauded Vietnamese citizens into joint investments.
Thai police apprehend Miss Ngo, a 30-year-old Vietnamese national who is wanted under an Interpol red notice, at her hotel room in Bangkok’s Watthana District on May 24, 2025.
The modus operandi of the Vietnamese network resembles fraud groups in Thailand – creating websites advertising investment opportunities in stock trading through Forex or cryptocurrency platforms, promising abnormally high returns of 20-30% per month, with victims transferring money into designated accounts.
Their advertising strategy involved using Vietnamese public figures and influencers to build credibility and attract interest, such as organizing seminars inviting people to hear investment plans, claiming zero risk and quick returns, with the ability to recruit others for commission payments in a pyramid-like structure.
Once victims were hooked, transactions would proceed through stock market-like operations. The scam involved allowing victims to trade stocks with small amounts initially and actually withdraw money to build confidence, then gradually encouraging larger investments using unrealistic profit-sharing structures to entice victims. When victims believed and invested larger sums, the criminals would immediately cut all contact.
Two Vietnamese men, claiming to be Miss Ngo’s bodyguards, were arrested at Miss Ngo’s hotel room in Bangkok on May 24, 2025.
Miss Ngo’s operation victimized more than 2,600 people with damages totaling approximately $300 million USD. Investigations revealed the gang was led by a Turkish national working with 35 Vietnamese accomplices in a well-organized criminal enterprise with clear role divisions, employing over 1,000 staff and operating from more than 44 fraud centers across the country, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, and other major cities, as well as locations in other countries such as Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Vietnamese Metropolitan Police investigated until they identified Ngo as a key suspect in this network, then coordinated with Interpol to issue an arrest warrant. Upon learning she had fled to Thailand, they contacted Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division, which deployed teams to track her down to a hotel in the Khlong Tan area, leading to the raid on May 24.
They found Miss Ngo residing there with two Vietnamese men claiming to be her bodyguards, though none had proper permits to stay in the country.
Miss Ngo confessed to participating in the crimes. Regarding assets obtained from the fraud, she stated the operation’s leader managed everything, with her receiving a portion that she laundered through real estate businesses in Vietnam.
For expenses in Thailand, she had her associates transfer money from nominee accounts in Vietnam to Vietnamese accounts in Thailand to avoid detection, converting approximately 1 million baht at a time into Thai currency. Authorities are holding Miss Ngo for detailed interrogation before proceeding with extradition to Vietnamese authorities.
Police from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrest a male suspect who filmed and sold explicit videos of his wife with other men at his residence in Buriram on May 23, 2025.
BURIRAM — Police from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) have arrested several married couples across northeastern Thailand for producing and distributing swinging videos on Platform X, with a combined following of over 13 million accounts and generating more than 10 million baht (approximately $300,000) in revenue
Ms. Chatrlada and Mr. Nattawat, both aged 32, were arrested at a residence in Buriram Province on May 23. According to CIB investigators, Ms. Chatlada, who works as a nurse at a hospital in Buriram, has swinging sexual preferences. Her husband Mr. Nattawat would recruit other men interested in having sexual relations with his wife, allowing her to choose partners. They would then film explicit swinging content together.
Police from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrest a couple who filmed and sold explicit videos at their residence in Buriram on May 23, 2025.
Mr. Nattawat subsequently posted these clips on Platform X, inviting users to join private groups where members paid subscription fees of 300-500 baht ($9-12) to access uncensored full-length videos. The couple confessed to filming and selling content in private groups for 4-5 years, earning approximately 200,000 baht ($6,155) annually from this activity.
Simultaneously, the same police unit arrested Ms. Pawarisa (26), Mr. Rannakan (27), Ms. Sutthida (26), and Mr. Chatchawan (41) in Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen, and Udon Thani provinces respectively. All owned Platform X accounts with similar preferences, where husbands would film explicit content featuring their wives with other men, then sell the footage to private group members.
Police from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrest a woman who sold explicit videos at her residence in Sakon Nakhon on May 23, 2025.
This arrest operation revealed that the suspects collectively had over 13 million follower accounts and generated more than 10 million baht in total revenue.
All suspects face charges of jointly producing obscene materials for commercial purposes or trade, for distribution or public display, including production, possession, importation or facilitating importation into the Kingdom, and exportation or facilitating exportation outside the Kingdom.
Prachinburi Highways Department officers remove advertising signs written almost entirely in Chinese from the roadside of Suwinthawong Road (Kabin Buri - Sri Maha Pho) in Prachinburi Province on May 24, 2025.
PRACHINBURI — The Prachinburi Provincial Highways Department has removed Chinese-language advertising signs recruiting foreign workers amid growing opposition to the province joining the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
Locals in Prachinburi Province encountered large advertising billboards written almost entirely in Chinese, except for the company name “The First Good Man Group Company – Foreign Worker Recruitment Services.” The signs, complete with contact phone numbers, were installed along Suwintawong Road (Kabinburi-Sri Maha Pho) near the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate in Lat Takian Subdistrict, Kabinburi District, amid opposition from some Prachinburi residents who oppose the province joining the EEC.
On May 24, Deputy Governor Chanatip Kokmanee ordered the Prachinburi Highways Department to remove the signs from three installation points. Officials are currently investigating whether the signs were legally installed under labor laws and are uncertain when they were erected, though they know the signs were recently placed at all three roadside locations, causing local dissatisfaction.
Prachinburi Highways Department officers remove advertising signs written almost entirely in Chinese from the roadside of Suwinthawong Road (Kabin Buri – Sri Maha Pho) in Prachinburi Province on May 24, 2025.
Previously, Prachinburi civil society groups submitted objection letters to Kabinburi District Office and the Provincial Hall. Most recently, they gathered to make statements in front of the Provincial Hall and online through Facebook pages, expressing their opposition to proposals making Prachinburi part of the EEC, rejecting Chinese investment, and demanding an end to focus group meetings for the consulting project on EEC expansion policy recommendations until a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) with public participation is conducted.
This citizen group fears that EEC development will impact natural resources in their famous agricultural province known for rice fields, orchards, and herbs, causing river and canal pollution from industrial waste, with Thai people receiving no benefits from factories lacking Thai workers.
This comes after discovering that industrial estates in Kabinburi and Sri Maha Pho districts are filled with Chinese factories, along with extensive land purchases from Thai landowners.
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is one of the main policies of the military government led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power from the civilian government in 2014.
The EEC Act 2018 was one of the laws enacted during the military government era, while using special powers under Article 44 to unlock all restrictions that prevented projects from moving forward.
The EEC Act centralizes decision-making authority regarding approvals, permits, rights granting, or concessions for investors in various sectors under a newly established Policy Committee and Secretary-General, including exemptions from urban planning law enforcement. It has been criticized as a law that creates “state within a state” powers or grants extraterritorial rights.
Under the EEC Act, industrial areas established within the special economic zone provide various “special privileges” to investors, such as rights for foreigners to own land or real estate, rights to receive tax exemptions or reductions, and rights to conduct financial transactions
FILE - People walk between buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — For students around the world, an acceptance letter to Harvard University has represented the pinnacle of achievement, offering a spot among the elite at a campus that produces Nobel Prize winners, captains of industry and global leaders.
That allure is now in jeopardy. In its intensifying fight with the White House, Harvard was dealt its heaviest blow yet on Thursday, when the government blocked the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. The move threatens to undermine Harvard’s stature, revenue and appeal among top scholars globally.
Even more than the government’s $2.6 billion in research cuts, the administration’s action represents an existential threat for Harvard. The school summed it up in a lawsuit seeking to block the action: “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”
Within hours of the decision, the consequences started becoming clear. Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth, who just finished her first year in a Harvard graduate program, is waiting to find out if she can return next year, the palace said. The Chinese government publicly questioned whether Harvard’s international standing will endure.
“The relevant actions by the U.S. side will only damage its own image and international credibility,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing in Beijing.
On the Harvard campus, international students said they were stunned, confused and deeply concerned about what the government’s action means for their degrees, future plans and legal status in the United States.
Walid Akef, a Harvard graduate student in art history from Egypt, said the Trump administration action would cost him “20 years of my life.”
“Coming to Harvard — I’m not exaggerating — I planned for it for 15 years,” Akef said. He earned two master’s degrees and learned multiple languages before arriving at the university. He also worries what the changes will mean for his family, since his wife is pregnant and will soon be unable to travel.
“This is absolutely disastrous. I’m going to lose not just stability, but I also lose my dreams and then lose, I don’t know, my beautiful life.”
Walid Akef, an Egyptian graduate student in art history speaks about the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the school’s ability to enroll international students on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass., on Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
Akef is cautiously optimistic that Harvard “will take care of this,” but he is also considering other options as U.S. policy becomes increasingly inhospitable to foreign students.
A graduating law student from Asia said he had planned to stay in the United States and find work, “but not anymore.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do, but my future doesn’t appear to be here,” said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
Changes could erase a quarter of the student body
With a $53 billion endowment, Harvard can weather federal funding losses that would cripple other institutions. But this new sanction strikes at the heart of its campus.
Already, the change is causing disarray, as thousands of students consider whether to transfer or risk being in the country illegally. It could wipe out a quarter of the university’s student body, while halving some of its graduate schools and threatening students who work as researchers and teaching assistants. Some sports teams would be left nearly empty.
For many, it has been a time of panicked calls home and huddles with fellow international students. For Kat, a data science student from China, the news comes as she prepares to graduate. Foreigners set to receive degrees from Harvard next week can still do so.
“My biggest fear is whether I would get deported immediately” after graduation, Kat said. She spoke on the condition that she be identified only by her first name out of concern about retaliation. “We’re not sure about our status.”
If the government’s action stands, Harvard would be banned from admitting new international students for at least two school years. Even if it regains its place as a global magnet, top students may shy away for fear of future government reprisals, the school said in its lawsuit.
The university enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. Roughly 30% of those come from India and China.
Asked if he was considering restrictions on other universities, President Donald Trump said Friday: “We’re taking a look at a lot of things.”
“Harvard’s going to have to change its ways. So are some others,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office. “We don’t want troublemakers here” from other countries.
A time to weigh other opportunities
In its court filing, Harvard listed some of its most notable alumni who enrolled as foreign students. The list includes Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia; Empress Masako of Japan; and many leaders of major corporations.
Many of the world’s top students spend years preparing for their college applications, sometimes working with admissions consultants such as Crimson Education, a company named after Harvard’s school color. Crimson clients recently admitted to Harvard were shocked by the government’s action, said Jamie Beaton, a Harvard alumnus from New Zealand who founded the company. But rather than looking for other options, many students quickly shifted to finding a way forward with Harvard, he said.
Still, some current students and those bound for the university in the fall were weighing other opportunities. Two universities in Hong Kong on Friday extended invites to affected students.
“It feels like my world has exploded,” said Fang, a Chinese student who was accepted to Harvard for a master’s program. She also spoke on the condition that only her first name be used out of fear that she could be targeted.
Her student visa was approved just this week. “If America becomes a country that doesn’t welcome me, I don’t want to go there.”
The recent developments forced Aleksandra Conevska, a Canadian graduate student researching climate change, to cancel her summer research and briefly look for jobs in Canada. But her thinking has since shifted, and she says she plans to remain at Harvard.
“I’ve already invested in this country, and I’m not going to give in,” she said.
Aleksandra Conevska, a Canadian graduate student studying climate change, speaks about the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the school’s ability to enroll international students on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass., on Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Casey)
The U.S. government’s action against Harvard has dominated news in countries around the world, said Mike Henniger, president and CEO of Illume Student Advisory Services, which helps colleges in the U.S., Canada and Europe recruit international students. He is traveling in Japan and awoke to the news Friday with dozens of emails from colleagues.
The reactions from the international community, he said, were incredulous: “’Unbelievable!’ ‘Oh My God!’ ‘Unreal!’”
For incoming freshmen who just got accepted to Harvard — and already committed — the timing could not be worse, but they are such strong students that any top university would want to offer them a spot, he said.
“The bigger story is the students around the country that aren’t a Harvard student, the students that scraped by to get into a state university and are thinking: ‘Are we next?’” he said. “The Harvard kids are going to be OK. It’s more about the damage to the American education brand. The view of the U.S. being a less welcoming place for international students.”
