BIG and TCP Partner for Net Zero Beverage Production with Low-Carbon Nitrogen

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17 March 2025, 15:12

Bangkok (6 March 2025) – TCP Group, the manufacturer and distributor of Kratingdaeng (Red Bull), Ready, Som Plus, Sponsor, Mansome, Hi!, Puriku, Sunsnack, and Warrior, has partnered with BIG, A Climate Tech Company, to implement low-carbon nitrogen in TCP’s production processes. This initiative marks a significant step toward achieving net-zero emissions and promoting sustainability within the beverage industry. It applies to Krating Daeng (Red Bull) energy drinks, Sponsor sports drinks, Mansome functional drinks, and Sunsnack, a Thai snack brand, all of which will utilize low-carbon nitrogen produced through a reduced-electricity process. This Low-Carbon Nitrogen provided by BIG, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50% compared to conventional nitrogen production, significantly decreasing TCP’s environmental footprint.

A Significant Step Towards Sustainability

This collaboration aligns with TCP Group’s commitment to sustainable business practices by minimizing its environmental and climate impact. By choosing low-carbon nitrogen for its popular beverage and snack products, TCP is not only reducing its own carbon footprint but also setting a new environmental standard for Thailand’s food and beverage industry. BIG’s low-carbon nitrogen is certified by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization) (TGO) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 50% compared to conventional nitrogen production. The use of low-carbon nitrogen from BIG will contribute to the reduction of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, which are indirect emissions from production processes. This aligns with both companies’ policies to minimize environmental impact and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

TCP Group Aims for Sustainable Production and Net Zero

Mr. Saravoot Yoovidhya, Chief Executive Officer of TCP Group, said “At TCP Group, we are committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We have already reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by over 10% and now use more than 80% renewable energy. This partnership with BIG is a testament to our dedication to environmental responsibility while also driving progress in Thailand’s beverage industry. As a House of Great Brands, TCP is transforming its manufacturing processes by adopting Smart Manufacturing, leveraging technology and innovation such as low-carbon nitrogen to enhance production efficiency and deliver high-quality products to consumers. This aligns with TCP Group’s purpose to ‘Energizing a Better World for All’”.

BIG Drives a Low-Carbon Society

Mr. Piyabut Charuphen, Managing Director of BIG, said “BIG is committed to leading innovation for climate solutions in Thai industry. As the first producer and distributor of low-carbon industrial gases in Thailand certified by TGO, BIG’s low-carbon nitrogen reduces carbon dioxide emissions by over 50%, supporting sustainable industrial decarbonization and enhancing global competitiveness regarding carbon tax. This also assures consumers of the safety of using BIG’s low-carbon nitrogen.

“The delivery of low-carbon nitrogen to TCP Group is a significant step in reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating the private sector’s role in addressing climate change. It underscores BIG’s commitment to creating environmentally friendly solutions under our ‘Generating a Cleaner Future’ business strategy.”

Thai Mango Sticky Rice Prices to Stay High in 2025, Says KResearch

By

Khaosod English

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17 March 2025, 12:43

BANGKOK — Kasikorn Research Center forecasts that mango sticky rice prices will remain high in 2025, similar to 2024 levels of approximately 138 baht per serving, despite falling mango prices. The research indicates mango prices are declining for the second consecutive year due to increased production and slowing domestic consumption, while other ingredient costs continue to rise.

Price Trends and Market Factors

Mango sticky rice, a popular Thai summer dessert featuring sweet Nam Dok Mai mangoes paired with coconut-infused sticky rice, continues to face pricing pressures despite its popularity.

According to Kasikorn Research Center report on March 14, 2025, Nam Dok Mai mango prices at the farm level are projected to be around 16.3 baht (48 cents) per kilogram in 2025, down 8.5% from 17.9 baht (53 cents) in 2024. This marks the second year of price decline from the 2023 high of 21.3 baht per kilogram.

Two key factors are driving mango price reductions:

A 9% increase in Nam Dok Mai mango production in major growing regions due to favorable weather conditions (approximately 70% of production reaches markets between March and May)
Slowing domestic consumption, including reduced demand from both Thai consumers and foreign tourists at restaurants and street food vendors

Rising Costs Offsetting Cheaper Mangoes

Despite cheaper mangoes, other ingredients and operational costs continue to rise:

Main Ingredients (representing 70% of total costs):

Sticky rice: up 1.4%
White coconut meat (for coconut milk): up 71.4%
Sugar: price controlled at 21 baht (62 cent) per kilogram

Other Expenses:

Rental space/stall fees: remaining high
Labor costs: increasing 2.9% in 2025
Packaging materials (boxes, spoons, zip-lock bags): remaining high

Consumer Impact and Popularity

Kasikorn Research Center predicts consumers will pay around 138 baht ($4.10) per serving in 2025, similar to or slightly higher than 2024 prices.

Despite price concerns, mango sticky rice remains highly popular. Nam Dok Mai mango is a renowned Thai Geographical Indication (GI) product known for its quality and is increasingly available in restaurants. The dessert was ranked second globally in “Best Rice Puddings” in 2024 and is listed among the world’s top 50 most popular desserts.

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“Her Awards UNFPA Thailand” Exhibition Celebrates International Women’s Day

By

MC Marketing

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17 March 2025, 11:14

BANGKOK — United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Thailand, in collaboration with its partners, organizes the “Her Awards UNFPA Thailand” photo exhibition and celebrates International Women’s Day 2025. The event takes place on the 5th Floor, Craftstudio Zone, CentralWorld from 3 to 6 March 2025, and at MRT Thailand Cultural Center Station from 8 to 15 March 2025.

It aims to advocate for gender equality, recognize the recipients of the “Her Awards UNFPA Thailand 2024,” and facilitate a public forum for idea exchange and collaboration across diverse sectors to promote equitable and sustainable development. The event’s attendees comprise representatives from government agencies, the private sector, civil society organizations, local communities, youth, educational institutions, the media, celebrities, and the general public.

This photo exhibition and celebration are a continuation of the efforts of UNFPA Thailand and its partners in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 2024 and the final five years of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiatives seek to attain gender equality and empower women and girls, which are significant global agendas.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025, UNFPA Thailand and its partners have arranged a sequence of events in Bangkok to celebrate and recognize the recipients of the “Her Awards UNFPA Thailand 2024”. These inspiring awardees have made outstanding contributions across population and development areas, including women’s empowerment, gender equality, combating gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, and promoting the rights and well-being of all individuals throughout their life cycle.

Ms. Siriluck Chiengwong, Head of Office of UNFPA Thailand, states that this celebration aims not only to spotlight the achievements of the Her Awards winners but also to foster public dialogue and collective action under the theme “For all Women and Girls: Rights, Equality and Empowerment.” The activities also serve to amplify the voices of different stakeholders, including local communities, development practitioners, policy-based developers, the private sector, youth, and policymakers, who are working tirelessly to address critical issues such as promoting gender equality and social development.

Additionally, today’s event underscores the significance of a life-cycle approach to development—ensuring that women and girls, from adolescence to old age, possess equitable opportunities and access to key services required.

“The Her Awards represent not merely an accolade but also a testament to our dedication to advancing the ICPD goal. The ICPD emphasizes the significance of gender equality, ending gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health rights to foster a society in which all individuals have equitable access to opportunities, rights, and choices. The Her Awards is a platform that enables individuals of different genders, ages, professions, and organizations to demonstrate their potential and motivate others. Regardless of your identity or origin, you possess the capacity to effect societal change,” Ms. Siriluck remarks.

Dr. Araya Panurach, Managing Director of Bangkook Metro Networks (BMN), a provider of advertising media, retail space, and event space in the MRT and expressway systems, a subsidiary of Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM), which is the operator of expressways and the MRT Blue Line, Purple Line, and expressways, as a representative of BEM, states that “BMN and BEM are proud to be a part of the ‘Her Awards UNFPA Thailand’ photo exhibition and to commemorate International Women’s Day.

Utilizing the available space at MRT stations to coordinate this event within the system is a wonderful method of fostering widespread awareness and inspiration. Representing BEM, our parent corporation responsible for the MRT and expressway systems, we assert that advocating for equality for all women and individuals, irrespective of gender, is fundamental to sustainable development in all aspects. Change will come from promoting the rights and welfare of Thais of all ages, and this may be accomplished by utilizing our collective physical and mental strength.”

Ms. Nada Binroheem, former president of the Children and Youth Council of Thailand and the recipient of the Her Awards UNFPA Thailand 2024, expresses that she is very pleased to contribute to Thailand’s advancement towards gender equality and inclusive development alongside people from diverse sectors and professions nationwide, as effecting change necessitates the involvement of all societal components.

In addition to today’s event, inspirational award recipients have engaged in mobile activities with UNFPA in different provinces nationwide to listen to problems and share stories to motivate others. These activities not only raise awareness about gender equality but also establish a network of women who are ready to rise up and take action to effect change in society.

“The Her Awards is made up of a variety of people. Celebrities, volunteer community development leaders, social developers, feminist who advocates for marginalized children, teachers in and out of the system, volunteer teachers who established the street teachers group, monks and nuns, police battalions, individuals employed in community enterprises from the southern border, civil servants, the public health sector workers, the civil society sector workers, female village headmen, village health volunteers, female leader from a subdistrict administrative organization who is dedicated to resolving non-standard loan issues for villagers, business people, individual from the private sector who works to enhance the value of farmers’ products, LGBTQ+ farmer who is dedicated to advancing both agriculture and gender rights, a young woman who was a victim of domestic violence and has since established an organization to assist victims of domestic violence and combat the culture of gender-based violence, and many others. This is magnificence. This is the inspiration that we wish to pass on to everyone,” says Ms. Nada.

Mr. Koen C. Kruijtbosch, Managing Director of Organon Thailand, emphasized, “At Organon, we envision a better and healthier future for every woman. The ‘Her Power’ Project, in partnership with UNFPA Thailand, focuses on addressing gender equality-related norms that contribute to health disparities in Thailand. Through this strategic partnership, we at Organon aim to create a more sustainable future for women, families, economies, and societies both in Thailand and around the world.”

Two sets of activities comprise the “Her Awards UNFPA Thailand” photo exhibition and the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration. The first set of activities is held on the 5A floor, Craftstudio zone, Central World shopping mall, from 3 to 6 March 2025.

The second set of activities is held at MRT Cultural Center, Exit 3, from 8 to 15 March 2025. Both sets of activities feature photo exhibitions throughout the event, as well as an opening session, panel discussions, and special talks on topics related to the event’s major theme.

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Trump Administration Deports Hundreds of Immigrants Despite a Judge’s Ruling to Stop

By

Associated Press

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17 March 2025, 10:20

El Salvador Deportees — In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, prison guards transfer deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP)

The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday temporarily blocking the deportations, but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air — one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement Sunday, responded to speculation about whether the administration was flouting court orders: “The administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.”

The acronym refers to the Tren de Aragua gang, which Trump targeted in his unusual proclamation that was released Saturday.

AP25075583393829 — In this photo provided by El Salvador’s presidential press office, a prison guard transfers deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP)

In a court filing Sunday, the Department of Justice, which has appealed Boasberg’s decision, said it would not use the Trump proclamation he blocked for further deportations if his decision is not overturned.

Trump sidestepped a question over whether his administration violated a court order while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening.

“I don’t know. You have to speak to the lawyers about that,” he said, although he defended the deportations. “I can tell you this. These were bad people.”

Asked about invoking presidential powers used in times of war, Trump said, “This is a time of war,” describing the influx of criminal migrants as “an invasion.”

Trump’s allies were gleeful over the results.

“Oopsie…Too late,” Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his country’s prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasberg’s ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung.

AP25075522588563 — FILE – Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks along the southern border with Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: “We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”

Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasberg’s verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the “spirit” of it.

“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck said.

The immigrants were deported after Trump’s declaration of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been used only three times in U.S. history.

The law, invoked during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.

Venezuela’s government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trump’s declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.”

Tren de Aragua originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone during the past decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint misleading pictures of communities that he contended were “taken over” by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.

The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. It also sent two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to El Salvador who had been arrested in the United States.

Video released by El Salvador’s government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes onto an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist.

The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prison’s all-white uniform — knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs — and placed in cells.

The immigrants were taken to the notorious CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukele’s push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rights

The Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States on Friday night but didn’t announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldn’t be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers.

“Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense,” Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.

The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned they’d be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.

Boasberg barred those Venezuelans’ deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it.

The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.

He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the U.S. Constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.

“Once they’re out of the country,” Boasberg said, “there’s little I could do.”

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Building a Golden Decade for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation — Celebrating the “Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week 2025

By

Contributor

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17 March 2025, 10:00

lancang-mekong petrol — The 150th China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand Mekong River joint patrol law enforcement operation has successfully concluded. (CCTV)

By Mr. Han Zhiqiang

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand

mr han scaled — Mr. Han Zhiqiang Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand

The Lancang-Mekong River flows ceaselessly, nourishing the lands of the six riparian countries and carrying their peoples’ shared pursuit of peace, prosperity, and a happy life. Upholding the original aspiration of “Shared River, Shared Future”, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) has, after nine years of cultivation, become a new fountain of strength for regional development, continuously yielding fruitful results in building a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.

We have deepened political mutual trust and security and laid a solid foundation for peace and stability. The six Lancang-Mekong countries have prioritized political mutual trust and security cooperation. China and the five Mekong countries have established communities with a shared future both on bilateral and multilateral levels, jointly leading the way in building a community with a shared future for mankind. The institutional development of the LMC mechanism has been increasingly refined, with notable achievements in non-traditional security cooperation. The six member countries have established the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Mechanism, deepening collaboration in areas such as counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime. China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand have completed the 150th joint patrol and law enforcement action along the Mekong River. China, Thailand, and Myanmar have jointly conducted operations to combat online gambling and telecom fraud in the Thai-Myanmar border region, dismantling multiple fraud dens and repatriating a large number of suspects, further safeguarding regional security and order.

We have focused on economic and sustainable development, and created a new vision of prosperity. Infrastructure connectivity among the riparian countries is accelerating, with economic and trade cooperation achieving both quantitative and qualitative improvements, and green transformation leading the way. Since the opening of the China-Laos Railway three years ago, cross-border cargo transportation has covered 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China and 19 countries and regions including Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Thai government has approved the planning for the second phase of the China-Thailand Railway project, which will connect with the China-Laos Railway in the future, forming a “Golden Corridor” running through the Indochina Peninsula. In 2024, trade between China and the Mekong countries exceeded US$450 billion, doubling from a decade ago. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the LMC mechanism are working in synergy, expanding the coverage of “zero-tariffs” on agricultural products.

We have promoted people-to-people exchanges and built bridges for mutual understanding. The cluster of cooperative projects jointly developed by the six countries has yielded remarkable results. Initiatives such as the “Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project” have benefited tens of thousands of people, while projects like the “LMC Bumper Harvest Projects” and the “Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand Action Plan on Lancang-Mekong Agricultural Cooperation” have been steadily implemented, delivering tangible benefits to the people. The implementation of China-Thailand and China-Laos visa-free policies has led to increasingly frequent exchanges among the people of the six countries in areas such as food, film, culture, and tourism. Exchanges among youth, media, think tanks, and localities have also become increasingly closer, further promoting the LMC culture featuring equality, sincerity, mutual assistance and kinship.

Thailand, as the current co-chair of the LMC, is a key advocate and active participant. Leveraging its unique geographical advantages and developmental expertise, Thailand is playing an increasingly prominent role within the mechanism. In November 2022, President Xi Jinping visited Thailand, and the two countries announced the beginning of a new era in building a China-Thailand community with a shared future. In February this year, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra paid an official visit to China and the two leaders outlined a new blueprint for advancing the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future. Under the strategic guidance of the leadership of both countries, political mutual trust between China and Thailand has been further consolidated, practical cooperation has been comprehensively upgraded, and the concept that “China and Thailand are as close as one family” has become more deeply rooted in people’s hearts.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand under the theme of the “Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship”. The two sides will conduct high-level visits and a series of celebratory activities. China supports Thailand in successfully hosting the 5th LMC Leaders’ Meeting and believes that the historic progress in China-Thailand relations will benefit both countries and their peoples, and will further contribute to regional peace, development, and prosperity.

As a Thai proverb says, “A single tree cannot make a forest”. China is willing to work with Thailand and other riparian countries to continue promoting the Lancang-Mekong spirit, deepen integrated development, adhere to innovation-driven growth, strengthen the foundation of people-to-people ties, and build a golden decade for LMC with closer partnerships and higher-quality cooperation outcomes!

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Cannabis Worth Millions Seized as Four More Britons Arrested at Samui

By

Khaosod English

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16 March 2025, 21:00

Thai officials inspect one of eight pieces of luggage belonging to four British tourists, containing packaged dried cannabis flowers, at Koh Samui Airport, Surat Thani province, on March 16, 2025.

KOH SAMUI — In a major drug bust at Samui Island Airport, authorities have apprehended four more British nationals attempting to smuggle dried cannabis out of Thailand. This latest arrest comes after five British citizens were already detained earlier this week for similar offenses.

A joint operation involving Surat Thani Immigration Police, Samui Customs, Bo Phut Police Station, Samui District officials, and the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 led to the arrest of the four foreign suspects and the seizure of eight travel suitcases containing cannabis weighing a total of 131 kilograms.

The arrested individuals, all British nationals, have been identified as:

Mr. Antony, 63, caught with two suitcases containing 29 kg of cannabis
Mr. Billy, 37, caught with two suitcases containing 34 kg of cannabis
Mr. Philld, 63, caught with two suitcases containing 34 kg of cannabis
Mr. John, 34, caught with two suitcases containing 34 kg of cannabis

4more british cannabis2 — Thai authorities apprehend four more British nationals attempting to smuggle dried cannabis out of Thailand on March 16, 2025.

According to investigators, the suspects attempted to smuggle the cannabis out of Thailand after checking in with their airline, but customs officials discovered the illegal substance in all of their luggage. Authorities then requested the four individuals to open their suitcases to confirm the contents.

All four have been charged with attempting to export goods without passing through proper customs procedures and violating the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Knowledge Act and the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement on controlled herbs (cannabis). They have been taken into custody at Bo Phut Police Station.

During questioning, the suspects confessed they were hired from abroad to pose as tourists in Thailand for the purpose of transporting cannabis out of the country. Their employers allegedly arranged their travel tickets and accommodations. The suspects had arrived in Thailand at Suvarnabhumi Airport, then traveled to Samui where they received suitcases pre-packed with cannabis. They were attempting to leave from Samui Airport to Singapore before connecting to their final destination in the United Kingdom.

4more british cannabis3 — Thai officials inspect seven pieces of luggage belonging to four British tourists and one Malaysian national, discovering a total of 131 kg of dried cannabis flowers, at Bo Phut Police Station in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, on March 16, 2025.

The suspects claimed they would have received payment of 2,000 pounds each (nearly $2,600) upon successful completion, with some also having their overseas debts cleared by their employers.

This week alone, authorities have seized a total of 375 kg of cannabis from 22 suitcases. Had the drugs reached their destination country, they could have been worth up to 200,000 baht (nearly $6,000) per kilogram, with the entire haul potentially valued at nearly 750 million baht (approximately $22.4 million) – a figure lucrative enough to tempt smugglers to risk breaking the law.

Relevant authorities are now working together to intensify efforts to block cannabis smuggling operations in the area and prevent further trafficking attempts. An investigation is ongoing to identify the employers and other individuals involved within Thailand.

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British Tourist Missing After Boat Fire Near Koh Tao, Thailand

By

Khaosod English

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16 March 2025, 19:57

KOH TAO — Maritime authorities in Surat Thani province successfully rescued 21 international tourists and crew members from a vessel that caught fire approximately 5 nautical miles from Koh Tao on Sunday morning, March 16. However, one British female national remains unaccounted for.

According to preliminary investigations by Koh Tao police, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. The vessel was carrying a total of 22 people, including one regular crew member, the boat captain, two diving instructor assistants, two diving instructors, and 16 tourists participating in diving activities.

The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the incident reported to police that Miss Alexandra Clarke, 26, had requested to surface from the water and used the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet.”

fireboat kohtao1 — A vessel carrying 16 international passengers for a diving excursion caught fire approximately 5 nautical miles from Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province, on Sunday morning, March 16, 2025. One British female tourist has gone missing.

The vessel, operated by Davy Jones Locker company, had departed from Koh Tao for a diving excursion when the incident occurred. Initial findings suggest the fire originated in the engine room before spreading to the captain’s quarters and the rear head. A nearby vessel managed to rescue nearly everyone on board, with the exception of Miss Alexandra, who is believed to have been in the toilet. The search operation is still ongoing.

Investigators determined the cause of the fire was related to a malfunction. A 48-year-old Myanmar worker identified only as “Tae” was in the process of filling diving tanks with compressed air when the compression equipment malfunctioned, igniting and subsequently setting the boat ablaze.

Initially, officials planned to pull the boat to shore to allow authorities and forensic officials to conduct a thorough investigation. However, the boat sank before this could be accomplished. The Regional Harbor Office of Koh Phangan has therefore ordered Davy Jones Locker Company Limited to recover the shipwreck and submit their operational plans within 15 days from the date of receiving the order.

Meanwhile, the search operation for Miss Alexandra is still ongoing.

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One of Indian Tourists Confesses to Rape of German Woman on Koh Phangan

By

Khaosod English

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16 March 2025, 14:19

indian german — Police trace the movements of Indian rape suspects of a German woman using CCTV footage from the day of the incident, March 14, 2025.

KOH PHANGAN — Police in Koh Phangan have charged two Indian nationals with the rape of a 24-year-old German tourist following a Full Moon Party on the island. One suspect has reportedly confessed to the charges, while the second admits only to hugging, touching, and kissing the victim.

The German tourist, identified only as Sarah from Munich, reported the assault to Haad Rin Police Station at approximately 5:40 a.m. on March 14. She told officers she was sexually assaulted by two men, believed to be of Indian nationality, near rocky outcroppings close to Paradise Bungalow in Moo 6, Ban Tai sub-district of Koh Phangan island.

Later that same day, at 8:20 p.m., police traced the suspects’ movements and located them at a bungalow in Moo 1, Koh Phangan sub-district. Officers detained Mr. Vijay, 47, and Mr. Rahul, 40, both Indian nationals, for questioning at Koh Phangan Police Station.

indian german2 — The two Indian suspects (grey shirt and green shirt) are charged with “jointly committing rape by using force against a person unable to resist,” at Koh Phangan Police Station on March 15, 2025.

Investigators seized clothing items, including shirts, pants, and sneakers worn by the suspects on the day of the incident, as well as the motorcycle used to leave the scene.

After the German woman positively identified both men as her attackers, police investigators presented evidence to the Koh Samui Provincial Court, which issued arrest warrants on March 15. The suspects are charged with “jointly committing rape by using force against a person unable to resist.”

At 8:30 p.m. that evening, police formally arrested both suspects, presented the warrants, and informed them of the charges. During questioning, Vijay reportedly confessed to all charges, while Rahul denied the rape allegations but admitted to hugging and kissing the victim, claiming he stopped when she resisted.

Officials are currently awaiting DNA test results from Koh Phangan Hospital to strengthen the case. They will request the court to take the victim’s testimony in advance, as she is scheduled to return to Germany in approximately two weeks.

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Previous news:

German Tourist Assaulted After Koh Phangan Full Moon Party, Two Indians Arrested

The Price Thailand Is Paying for Deporting 40 Uyghurs

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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16 March 2025, 13:32

Uyghurs — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with reporters following the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, on Friday, March 14, 2025. Rubio said he was immediately moving to impose visa restrictions on Thai current and former officials responsible for or complicit in deporting at least 40 Uyghur men to China. (Saul Loeb, Pool Photo via AP)

The main foreign policy mantra that Thailand is a neutral country shows signs of a major crack less than three weeks after the Thai government forcibly deported 40 Uyghurs back to China on February 27 after this week’s vote by the EU Parliament condemning the Thai government, calling the issue to be raised as a leverage in the Thai-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiation, followed by the US State Department sanctioning the Thai government by restricting the visas of Thai officials involved in the deportation – citing safety risks faced by these 40 people.

A small country like Thailand should have known better than when two big powers are in a fierce dispute right at our doorstep, the last thing Thailand should do is to appear to take side with one party. Thailand sided with China in a very visible way by sending the 40 Uyghurs back to China. As a result, the US tried to humiliate the Thai government by announcing to the world a visa restriction on relevant Thai officials.

Regardless of your view on the Uyghur repatriation (and to be fair there’s no consensus among the Thai public), it should be clear that the Thai government’s foreign policy on this matter has failed, because even a less powerful political entity like the EU Parliament has also issued a condemnation. The Thai government is now in a full damage-control mode but its spokesman laughably assured us that China’s PR trip invitation to a Thai delegate led by Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayasai, and a select group of Thai journalists, will be able to allay concerns about the fate of these 40 Uyghurs. It’s a PR trip after all, and the Thai government will definitely do (or ignore) everything to avoid embarrassing the big-brother host.

Of course, America spoke from a moral high ground as a superpower while ignoring its own hypocrisy in the Middle East and beyond, including not ruling out the use of military force to annex Greenland. Nevertheless, the Thai government was too eager to please China, and this makes Thailand weak, not just appeared weak, and meek.

The case shows that the Thai government’s constant claim of neutrality is much easier said than done. The matter could potentially affect Thailand’s trade with the EU and even America, and tens of millions of Thais, and not just some top Thai officials being unable to visit Disneyland in Florida or shopping at Tiffany’s in NYC.

As for this week’s EU Parliament voting to condemn the Thai government regarding the deportation, before anyone gets too alarmed about the EU Parliament’s vote condemning Thailand for sending the Uyghurs back to China (and the controversial lese majeste law issue), I’d like to share a story to temper the concerns that Thailand will be pressed on the matter through FTA negotiations.

Back in 2017, three years after the EU downgraded its relationship with Thailand’s military government of dictator Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha due to the coup d’état Prayut, the EU realised that using a hardline approach was ineffective with the Thai military dictatorship (probably because the dictatorship didn’t care about being isolated, the economic impact).

One day in December 2017, I was invited to a reception at an EU member state’s embassy at a 5-star hotel in the Sathorn area of Bangkok. There, a diplomat from an embassy of an EU member state approached me and informed me that the EU had decided to restore its relations with the Thai military government. He told me: “You know, the EU discussed that it doesn’t make sense at all to continue to downgrade the relations with Thailand under Prayut while maintaining normal relations with Vietnam, even though the level of civil and political liberties in Vietnam is decidedly lower than in Thailand under the military government. Moreover, in the past three years, we’ve lost trade opportunities, etc., to other countries that didn’t downgrade relations with Thailand.”

In case readers aren’t aware, the EU signed an FTA with Vietnam in 2019, even though citizens in that country have limited political freedom, with a single-party holding monopoly on power, and a poor press freedom index, (ranking 174th out of 180 countries in the 2024 annual ranking by Reporters Without Borders while Thailand was 87th last year), and I’m one of the people invited by Reporters Without Borders to help evaluate and score), and the mainstream Vietnamese media entirely state-controlled, with 37 journalists currently being imprisoned, making Vietnam the third-worst country in the world when it comes to jailing journalists (China is Number 1 with 100 journalists and 3 media organization employees imprisoned at present).

And this doesn’t even include the EU’s current increased burdens, such as a potential trade war with the US and the need to spend more money building its own military for self-defense because America is no longer paying.

In conclusion, Thais who are against the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration should not get too excited or hold lofty expectations that the Thai government will definitely be punished.

What’s more, the US and the EU pushing Thailand too hard would only compel Thailand to move even closer towards China, and that won’t be beneficial to the West, or democracy-loving Thais.

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Holiday Tragedy: Korean Tourist, 64, Found Dead in Phuket Spa Sauna

By

Khaosod English

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16 March 2025, 13:19

sauna phuket tragic1 — A spa offering sauna services in Wichit sub-district, Mueang Phuket district

PHUKET — A 64-year-old South Korean tourist was found dead inside a sauna room at a luxury spa in Phuket, Thailand.

Police officers from Wichit Police Station in Phuket were notified of the death and promptly arrived at the scene accompanied by forensic doctors from Vachira Phuket Hospital and staff from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation.

At the scene, authorities discovered the body of Mr. Park, 64, lying on the floor in front of the sauna room. Red rashes were visible on his back and the back of his head.

According to Ms. Aroonee, Mr. Park’s wife, she had visited the spa on Saturday evening with her husband and his two sisters. While the women opted for traditional Thai massage services, Mr. Park went alone to use the sauna facilities.

At approximately 5:22 PM, Mr. David, a British tourist, entered the sauna and found the Korean man unconscious inside. He immediately alerted staff members, who attempted CPR and called for police and emergency services. Despite these efforts, they were unable to revive Mr. Park.

Officials subsequently transported Mr. Park’s body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a detailed autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Authorities are also gathering information about Mr. Park’s medical history from his family members.

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Price Trends and Market Factors

Rising Costs Offsetting Cheaper Mangoes

Consumer Impact and Popularity

By Mr. Han Zhiqiang

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand

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