The knife used by the suspect to stab his love rival was discarded in a trash bin near the condominium in Pattaya where the incident occurred on April 26, 2025.
PATTAYA — A love triangle involving Russian nationals in Pattaya turned violent when a jealous boyfriend stabbed his girlfriend’s former lover in a shocking incident captured clearly on security cameras.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanongsak Inphadung, Deputy Inspector of Pattaya City Police Station, received a report at 6:00 p.m. on April 26 about a foreign man who had been stabbed in front of a condominium in the Khao Phra Tamnak area, Soi 4, Pattaya City, Chonburi Province.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found the injured victim, identified as Mr. Mikhail, a Russian national, covered in blood with a deep wound to his neck that had severed a major blood vessel. First responders provided emergency treatment before rushing him to Pattaya City Hospital in critical condition.
The Russian woman’s shirt is soaked with blood after her new boyfriend attacked and seriously injured her ex-boyfriend in front of a condominium in Pattaya on April 26, 2025.
According to witness testimonies, the incident stemmed from jealousy between the woman’s former and current boyfriends. The victim was the ex-boyfriend of a foreign woman with whom he still maintained frequent contact.
The perpetrator, her current boyfriend who lives nearby, had been closely monitoring the woman’s activities. When he spotted the woman sitting intimately with her former lover in front of the building, he became enraged, approached the victim and violently stabbed him in the neck.
Rescuers provide emergency treatment before rushing the Russian man to Pattaya City Hospital in critical condition on April 26, 2025.
After the attack, the injured man attempted to fight back but collapsed due to his severe injuries. The assailant calmly walked away, disposing of the knife in a garbage bin.
Pattaya City Police confirmed that the entire incident was clearly captured by the building’s CCTV cameras. Officers are now working with Tourist Police to track down and apprehend the foreign suspect.
This case occurred on the same day as another shocking crime in Pattaya, where a Chinese man murdered a Thai transgender woman and disposed of her body. Police have detained the suspect at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested a Chinese man suspected of murdering a Thai transgender woman in Pattaya and destroying the body. This was done in coordination with Pattaya police before he could flee the country on April 26, 2025.
PATTAYA — A 42-year-old Chinese national, Mr. Fu Tongyuan, wanted for the gruesome murder of a 25-year-old Thai transgender woman, was apprehended by Immigration police at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday afternoon. The suspect, whose face was covered with scratch marks, was transported back to Pattaya for interrogation.
The victim’s body was discovered in a rental apartment in Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya. The deceased, identified as Woranand from Nong Khai province, had suffered horrific injuries. Her body had been cut open from neck to genitals, with her lung missing and heart removed from the body.
Investigators found a large plastic bag and scissors inside the apartment. The bathroom showed signs of thorough cleaning, with almost no blood stains remaining.
Rescue personnel and forensic officers enter the room where the body of a transgender woman who had been murdered and mutilated was found, inside an apartment in Central Pattaya area on April 26, 2025.
Forensic police conducted detailed examinations and collected DNA evidence from the crime scene.
The apartment housekeeper told police that around 2 a.m. on April 26, she heard an argument between a Chinese man and a transgender woman in the room. She later heard the transgender woman screaming, “Let me go! Don’t hurt me!” This was followed by the sound of footsteps and repeated door kicking that continued for about an hour before falling silent.
When she woke up in the morning, the housekeeper reported the incident to her employer, who instructed her to knock on the door and warn the tenant. When no one answered, they used a spare key to enter the room, where they discovered the transgender woman’s body lying in a pool of blood. The Chinese man had disappeared. They immediately called the police.
Immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested a Chinese man suspected of murdering a Thai transgender woman in Pattaya and destroying the body. This was done in coordination with Pattaya police before he could flee the country on April 26, 2025.
The apartment manager revealed that the Chinese suspect had rented the room around 9 a.m. on April 25 for a one-week stay. According to his passport, he had previously visited Thailand 2-3 times as a tourist.
The suspect was finally arrested at approximately 1:45 p.m. while attempting to clear immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He was preparing to leave the country on China Eastern Airlines flight MU 742 bound for Kunming, China.
CCTV footage reveals that the Chinese suspect was traveling by motorcycle taxi to a tour bus in Pattaya heading to Bangkok on the morning of April 26, 2025.
Police Lieutenant General Yingyot Thepjamnong, Commander of Provincial Police Region 2, commended Pattaya City Police for solving the case and rapidly coordinating with Immigration Police at Suvarnabhumi Airport. CCTV footage revealed that the suspect left his accommodation alone at 7:50 a.m. on April 26, then traveled by motorcycle taxi and tour bus heading to Bangkok in preparation to flee the country.
Police Lieutenant General Yingyot disclosed that after Pattaya City Police took Fu Tongyuan into custody, they collected forensic evidence before conducting a detailed interrogation. The Chinese man initially claimed he acted in self-defense after being attacked first, but police remain skeptical due to evidence found at the scene, including sacks and numerous restraints, some on the bed and others near the victim’s body in the room, suggesting premeditation.
CCTV footage shows the Chinese suspect returning to the apartment in Pattaya after purchasing various suspicious items on April 25, 2025.
This evidence aligns with CCTV footage showing Fu purchasing various items at 9:20 p.m. on April 25, including one large rainbow-patterned bag, one pair of scissors, one pack of black garbage bags, one pack of clear plastic bags, and one pack of zip ties, totaling 195 baht. The shopping took approximately 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, investigators are focusing on the missing lung from the victim, as noted by the forensic doctor. Police are conducting a thorough investigation, coordinating with the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and relevant experts.
Rescue personnel provide immediate first aid to a 34-year-old Irish citizen, severely wounded with slash injuries, in front of a condominium in Soi Thep Prasit 17, Pattaya City, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, on April 26, 2025.
PATTAYA — A violent assault between foreigners occurred in Pattaya early this morning, leaving an Irish national with serious injuries outside his condominium building. According to security personnel who witnessed the incident, the attacker was also a foreigner.
The Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Center received a report at 1:36 a.m. on April 26 regarding a foreign national who had been attacked in front of a condominium in Soi Thep Prasit 17, Pattaya City, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province.
Police patrol officers from Pattaya City Police Station and rescue volunteers rushed to the scene. They found Mr. Scott, a 34-year-old Irish citizen, severely wounded with slash injuries to his left arm, abdomen, and both legs. He was lying in a pool of blood beside his motorcycle. A folding knife was discovered at the scene, which police collected as evidence.
Rescue personnel provide immediate first aid to a 34-year-old Irish citizen, severely wounded with slash injuries, in front of a condominium in Soi Thep Prasit 17, Pattaya City, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, on April 26, 2025.
Rescue personnel provided immediate first aid to the victim, who was in critical condition, before urgently transporting him to the hospital.
Police interviewed a security guard from a nearby condominium who witnessed the incident. The guard reported that the Irish man was riding his motorcycle back from a convenience store when, upon reaching the scene, another foreigner on a motorcycle pulled alongside him and kicked his bike, causing him to fall. The attacker then repeatedly stabbed the victim before quickly fleeing the area. The security guard immediately called for help.
Police are currently investigating to identify and apprehend the suspect.
FILE - Virginia Giuffre, center, holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41.
Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
Her publicist Dini von Mueffling described Giuffre as “deeply loving, wise and funny.”
“She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself,” von Mueffling wrote in a statement. “I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”
FILE – Virginia Giuffre speaks during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein’s prolonged downfall.
The wealthy, well-connected New York money manager killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages.
Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009.
In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago — President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club — when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Giuffre said she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18.
The men denied it and assailed Giuffre’s credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein.
But many parts of her story were supported by documents, witness testimony and photos — including one of her and Andrew, with his his arm around her bare midriff, in Maxwell’s London townhouse.
Giuffre said in one of her lawsuits that she had sex with the royal three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.
“Ghislaine said, ‘I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein,’” Giuffre told NBC News’ “Dateline” in September 2019.
Andrew categorically rejected Giuffre’s allegations and said he didn’t recall having met her.
In this Sunday, April 11, 2021 file photo, Britain’s Prince Andrew speaks during a television interview at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. Photo: Steve Parsons / Pool Photo via AP File
His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals — such as disputing Giuffre’s recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring — and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.
Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a “substantial donation” to her survivors’ organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre “an established victim of abuse.”
She also filed, and in at least some cases settled, lawsuits against Epstein and others connected to him. In one case, she dropped her claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she might have erred in identifying him as one of the men to whom Epstein supplied her.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She said she wasn’t to blame for Epstein’s abuse.
In this image provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry, Jeffrey Epstein has his photo taken March 28, 2017. Photo: New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP File
Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade-schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.
She said she met her now-husband in 2002 while taking massage training in Thailand at Epstein’s behest. She married, moved to Australia and had a family.
Giuffre founded an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015.
Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident, her publicist said last month. She didn’t answer questions at the time about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared to come from Giuffre. The post said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus and her prognosis was dire.
She is survived by her three children, whom the statement described as the “light of her life.”
Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Giuffre, said in a statement, “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
The AP does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly.
Dr. Suwadee Phanphanich sparked controversy by sharing a photo of herself at the cafe in Chiang Mai with workers sorting tobacco leaves visible in the background.
CHIANG MAI — A popular cafe in Chiang Mai continues to operate normally with steady customer flow after its owner addressed controversial accusations. The establishment denied claims it was operating as a “human zoo” following viral images shared by a female politician showing customers being served while tobacco leaf sorters worked in the background.
The controversy began when Dr. Nick Suwadee Phanphanich, a former Thai Sang Thai Party parliamentary candidate and Thonburi Hospital executive, shared a photo of herself at the cafe with workers sorting tobacco leaves visible in the background. The image went viral, triggering widespread criticism, with many suggesting the setup resembled a “human zoo” and reinforced class divisions in Thai society.
Dr. Nick later clarified her position, stating she respects community traditions that create diverse cultures and occupations. “I appreciate cafes that allow people to witness authentic lifestyles that still exist, similar to tea plantation cafes, farm cafes, and weaving center cafes that provide opportunities for people to learn and participate in activities,” she wrote.
Yen.CNX cafe in Chiang Mai continues to operate normally with steady customer flow on April 25, 2025, following viral controversy over its tobacco-sorting display.
“I disagree with the term ‘human zoo’ because it reflects shallow thinking and generalization by those using it, and it demeans the workers. They have honor and dignity, and we must respect their way of life,” she added, thanking the cafe for sharing this lifestyle with younger generations.
The female owner of “Yen.CNX” expressed shock at the misunderstanding of her cafe’s intentions. She explained that the property was originally her family’s tobacco sorting factory with a long history dating back to her grandfather’s generation, continued by her father, and now operated by her uncle.
“The cafe never intended to diminish the value of any occupation or trample on anyone’s dignity. On the contrary, we believe every profession has value, and everyone deserves equal respect and dignity,” she stated.
She further explained that she aimed to continue her ancestors’ legacy in a format accessible to the public, preserving the original factory’s spirit. The owner hired designers committed to conserving the original architectural beauty to create a space that tells the story of the family business through original structures and exhibition rooms detailing tobacco cultivation, curing, and sorting processes.
During the January to May season, actual tobacco sorting still takes place. The workers are skilled professionals from the original operation, not hired for show, and receive fair compensation for their work.
“This cafe wasn’t established for entertainment but intended as a space for learning and sharing stories about a historically valuable occupation, always respecting the dignity of all workers,” she emphasized, adding that she would incorporate feedback for improvements.
Yen.CNX cafe in Chiang Mai continues to operate normally with steady customer flow on April 25, 2025, following viral controversy over its tobacco-sorting display.
Reporters in Chiang Mai noted that the cafe has been open for over three years, continuing the family’s traditional tobacco business.
One customer who had just learned about the controversy hours before visiting said she came specifically to try the coffee and experience the cafe’s atmosphere, noting that traditional tobacco processing like this is rare to witness. She suggested the controversial photos might have been taken from angles that created misunderstandings.
“Having seen it with my own eyes, my perspective differs from what many people think. I see it as one of the cafe’s selling points, highlighting the tobacco leaf processing profession. To me, it’s no different from showcasing coffee production processes—it’s simply demonstrating traditional tobacco leaf processing.”
BANGKOK — A representative of Nestlé Thailand has reiterated the company’s determination to continue the production of “Nescafé” in Thailand despite a business conflict with Quality Coffee Products Co. (QCP), its former production partner.
This confirmation followed after the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court ruled on April 11, 2025, in Nestlé’s favor and allowed the company to resume its Nescafé operations as usual.
The representative explained to Matichon on April 25 that the business conflict that led to the termination of the contract with QCP at the end of 2024 was due to business disagreements and subsequent legal action to dissolve QCP. They emphasized that it was a legal process to dissolve the company and not a bankruptcy filing.
Temporary Import and Outsourced Production Adjustments
During the disruption of local production, Nestlé adapted by importing Nescafé products from abroad and temporarily outsourcing production to other domestic manufacturers to mitigate shortages in the market.
The company emphasized that these measures are only temporary and reiterated its clear intention to resume full-scale Nescafé production in Thailand. Currently, production is sourced from Nestlé (Thai) Ltd. and other partners in Thailand and abroad.
The Nestlé Thailand representative also pointed out that after the contract termination, QCP’s factory will no longer receive production orders from Nestlé, resulting in a complete halt of Nescafé production at this facility.
To compensate for possible shortages, Nestlé has temporarily resorted to other local producers and imports from countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. Current production and supply sources include Nestlé (Thai) Ltd, Benjapandpong Co, Ltd, Nestlé Vietnam Ltd, Nestlé Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Toyo Seikan (Thailand) Co, Ltd.
Currently, imported Nescafé products account for a larger share of supply than domestic production, as the former main manufacturer is no longer active. However, Nestlé reiterated that this is only a short-term adjustment and that the long-term plan to produce Nescafé in Thailand remains unchanged.
Suneevan Pochan, a coffee shop owner in downtown Khon Kaen Province
Risk of $2M Daily Revenue Loss Due to Market Shortages
Currently, the market for instant coffee and 3-in-1 coffee in Thailand is estimated at around 686.5 million dollars (23 billion baht) from April 2024 to March 2025. Nescafé is still the market leader and one of Nestlé’s top-selling brands. A shortage of Nescafé products could result in a loss of sales of around 2 million dollars (70 million baht) per day.
Nestlé also emphasized its continued support for Thai farmers who produce Robusta coffee beans, the main ingredient in Nescafé. Nestlé is the largest buyer of Robusta beans in Thailand, accounting for over 50% of the country’s total production, and has been running sustainable farming programs for over 40 years.
Although the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court has ruled that Nestlé has the right to operate the Nescafé business as usual, the legal disputes with the Mahagitsiri family continue. The Civil Court in Min Buri is expected to hold a hearing on June 20, 2025 to determine the jurisdiction of the case.
Nestlé reiterated that it will continue to conduct all business in accordance with legal procedures and respect the court’s decisions while upholding the principles of good corporate governance and transparency in its business practices in Thailand.
Regarding the trademark dispute, the company clarified that Nestlé itself directly manages all production and product lines and that the dispute has no impact on its operations or product availability in the domestic market.
Nestlé’s three production facilities in Thailand continue to operate normally. The company remains committed to long-term investment and development in Thailand, as well as sustainable support for Thai farmers.
Travelers who visit Thailand may submit the TDAC up to three days before their scheduled arrival date.
BANGKOK — Thailand’s National Police Chief has emphasized the importance of foreigners registering through the new Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system, commonly known as TM.6 online, which will launch on May 1, 2025.
The system is one of the measures police hope will help address the problem of foreign criminals infiltrating Thailand.
Police General Kittirat Phanphet said today that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is prioritizing efforts to tackle foreign criminal networks, including those using Thai nominees to operate businesses illegally. “This violates Thai law and takes advantage of local residents,” he noted.
The Prime Minister has instructed relevant agencies across multiple ministries and departments, including the police, to develop systematic solutions to these issues.
National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kittirat Phanphet and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Recent crackdowns on scammer networks have revealed that Thailand is being used as a transit point for transnational crime organizations, including those luring Thai nationals across borders to work in call center scams in neighboring countries. “This not only damages the country’s image but also threatens overall national security,” the Police Chief stated.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities, including the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Chinese government, have expressed full cooperation by providing information, supporting coordination efforts, and confirming their readiness to work with Thai authorities in suppressing these criminal networks. They have requested Thailand to take serious action against these groups.
People from China, Vietnam, Ethiopia believed to have been trafficked and trapped into working in online scam centers after they were rescued in Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanaphon Wuttison)
Police General Kittirat addressed concerns from foreigners who suspect that some Thai officials may be involved with criminal operations, making it difficult for Thailand to effectively block these networks. He emphasized that authorities are expediting investigations into the source of these operations to prevent such incidents from recurring.
The new digital TM.6 (Arrival/Departure Card) system will allow travelers to submit information via website or application before entering Thailand. This system will help screen and assess traveler risk by connecting to security agency databases containing watchlists, banned individuals, and those with previous criminal records.
Additionally, the online TM.6 system will streamline immigration procedures, reduce congestion at checkpoints, and enhance security and management of foreigners in the country.
Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization), or RTRDA, is the national leading institute for railway technology research and development. The agency integrates expertise and resources from all sectors to enhance the country’s technological capabilities and foster the growth of the domestic railway industry.
RTRDA is now seeking qualified candidates for the position of:
President of the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization)
Details of the application process are as follows:
(1) In-person submission
Submit directly to the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization) no later than May 7, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
(2) Registered postal mail (EMS)
Send to:
Secretary of the Subcommittee for the President Recruitment of the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization)
EXAT Expressway Administration Center 10th Floor, 111 Rim Khlong Bang Kapi Rd, Bang Kapi ,Huai Khwang ,Bangkok 10310, Thailand
(The postmark date must be no later than May 7, 2025.)
For Further Inquiries
Interested individuals may contact the Secretary of the Subcommittee for the President Recruitment of the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization),
EXAT Expressway Administration Center 10th Floor, 111 Rim Khlong Bang Kapi Rd, Bang Kapi ,Huai Khwang ,Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Tel: 095-846-5153
Announcement information from the Secretary of the Subcommittee for the President Recruitment of the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization): https://www.rtrda.or.th/ข่าวสาร-กิจกรรม/ร่วมงานกับ-สทร/สมัครงาน
CK Power Public Company Limited or CKPower (SET: CKP), recently conducted its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders electronically (E-AGM), where shareholders acknowledged its operational performance for the year 2024 and approved a dividend payment for the same period at a rate of THB 0.085 per share, totaling up to THB 691 million. The dividend is scheduled to be paid on May 23, 2025. In addition to CKPower’s commitment to shareholder returns, this dividend distribution reaffirms the company’s determination to drive the organization forward under its C-K-P sustainability strategy in pursuit of its core mission: “to be one of the region’s largest producers of electricity from renewables with one of the lowest carbon footprints.” Under this strategy, CKPower strives to proactively maintain ecological and environmental balance, foster the well-being of communities and society, support the global energy transition, and make demonstrable progress towards its long-term objective of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The E-AGM was held in the Supannika Room on the 4th Floor of Viriyathavorn Building, was presided over by Dr.Thanong Bidaya, Chairman of the Board of Directors, with Mr. Plew Trivisvavet, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr. Thanawat Trivisvavet, Managing Director, and members of the Board of Directors.
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra delivers a keynote speech on "Perspectives on Thailand's economy regarding current challenges and future solutions, as well as attracting foreign investors to invest in Thailand" at the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) event on April 24, 2025. (Photo credit: Prasert Jantararuangtong)
BANGKOK — “We hope the U.S. will remember our shared history. Our goal is to foster a strategic partnership,” Thaksin Shinawatra said at the event of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) on Thursday night after Thai and U.S. officials postponed tariff talks initially slated for this week.
AMCHAM website stated that its members welcomed Thaksin for an exclusive dinner and candid conversation with members of the American business community on April 24. Other guests included U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert Godec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society Prasert Jantararuangtong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa, and Minister of Commerce Pichai Naripthaphan.
Thaksin shared his perspectives on key economic issues, including incentives to attract investment, Thailand’s economic outlook, innovation potential, and its strategic role in both regional and global contexts.
“Drawing on his extensive experience in both politics and business, he offered valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges facing Thailand in today’s rapidly evolving landscape,” it stated.
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra attend the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) event on April 24, 2025. (Photo credit: Prasert Jantararuangtong)
According to Bloomberg, Thaksin Shinawatra said Thailand must reform its import regulations and investment promotion policies in response to potential US tariffs that could harm the country’s export-driven economy.
Thaksin described the threatened 36% levy on US-bound exports as a “good wake up call” for his daughter Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government to address issues with foreign manufacturers bypassing local content requirements.
He specifically mentioned Thailand’s electric vehicle industry, which has attracted significant Chinese investment through government incentives.
“We have a huge deficit with China and we have a moderate surplus with the US. Maybe something is wrong here,” Thaksin noted, adding that “we’re going to change our policy because of the tariffs.”
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra attend the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) event on April 24, 2025. (Photo credit: Prasert Jantararuangtong)
His comments came as Thai officials prepared to negotiate with the US to reduce the “reciprocal tariff” – one of the highest rates imposed by the Trump administration. Thailand had a $46 billion trade surplus with the US, its largest export market, last year.
Thaksin’s statements suggest a potential policy shift for Thailand, which has benefited substantially from Chinese investments amid global supply chain relocations. From 2022-2024, Chinese companies were Thailand’s largest source of foreign direct investment at nearly 28%, compared to about 8% from US companies.
The situation highlights the challenge for countries like Thailand trying to maintain neutrality between the US and China. While Washington is pressuring countries to reduce Chinese trade connections, Beijing has warned against making deals with the US that could harm its interests.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra meets with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and relevant officials to discuss measures for Thai products to stop misuse of certificates of origin by foreign companies attempting to evade US tariffs at the Government House on April 22, 2025.
Thailand is reportedly willing to adjust import tax policies to favor US goods through bilateral agreements rather than adhering strictly to WTO rules. Thaksin mentioned US corn and liquefied natural gas as products Thailand plans to import more of to help narrow the trade gap.
PM Paetongtarn previously noted that the US-Thai tariff talks were postponed because Washington wanted her administration to review certain issues first. She has ordered officials to stop misuse of certificates of origin by foreign companies attempting to evade US tariffs, covering 65 items across 224 tariff codes, most of which are industrial products.
While acknowledging that negotiating with the US is “quite tough,” Thaksin assured American business representatives that Thailand was well-prepared for talks, stating they are “not as simple as ‘how many percent'” and that the government is “ready to go anytime the U.S. want us to go.”
